


The Crimson Epistles

by ShadeReilly34



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Cartoons (Classic), Epic Mickey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Gore, F/M, Furry, Twisted-Wind's webcomics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2019-08-14 10:06:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16490531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadeReilly34/pseuds/ShadeReilly34
Summary: Based largely on the webcomic "The Count Mickey Dragul" by Twisted-Wind: When Count Mickey and Oswald Van Helsing are called by a mysterious letter to the darkest districts of London, there will be a series of terrible and gruesome events that will test them both with what they most love and fear respectively. Disney Animated Universe-Epic Mickey Crossover/AU.





	1. White Veil

**Author's Note:**

> Shade: First Disney project (How nervous I am!), But hey, what can I say? The saga of webcomics of Twisted-Wind was like a bullet in the head for me that led to the obsession to make some twisted and exciting idea. And well, that idea was this.
> 
> Those who want to read the webcomics, I leave the link of the artist. Total credits to her: : twisted-wind/gallery/28917409/the-Count-Mickey-Dragul
> 
> Warnings: +18. Future explicit scenes of gore and death. Delicate themes. Furry lemon in future parts.
> 
> Disclaimer: The universe and the characters of the webcomic "The Count Mickey Dragul" are owned by twisted-wind, of Deviantart. Other Disney characters are from the Disney macroverse and Epic Mickey franchise. The story is mine.

_"I will not let you go into the unknown alone."_

**Bram Stoker**

**Chapter I:** _White veil._

In the world in which we live, so beautiful and at the same time so chaotic, where there is as much light and darkness as good and evil inside each one of the beings that inhabit it, it's not surprising that, once in a while, the forces of both sides, as disparate as they are antagonistic to each other, not only align themselves in order to achieve a common good, but even, by some extraordinary and twisted miracle, make good friends with each other.

On one side was the feared highland master of Transylvania, Count Mickey Dragul. The rumors said that he, like the rest of his extinct family, was part of a vile race of night and darkness, beings that hide and act from the shadows and hate the sunlight, beings of which good people speak in whispers with a mixture of fascination and terror:  _Vampires._

It had been many years since Mickey had let these rumors grow around him by simply isolating himself from everyone and everything, in search of a calmer, more tranquil life where he wouldn't have to endure more hatred and rejection beyond sporadic encounters with monster and fortune hunters whom came to his castle and then were impaled or massacred, falling like flies before the spider's web... However, that had  _changed_  when, a dark and cold winter night, he had found, by chance in appearance (although now he attributed it with fervor to fate) to a beautiful little mouse called Mina "Minnie" Murray, who had come to his land trying to flee from an arranged marriage with a vile and despicable mouse that she could never come to love. One thing led to the other and, finally, the love came with the force of a gale to his heart perpetually stopped,  _chaining_  himself forever to Mina, to the horror of her relatives, who didn't hesitate to hire the best vampire hunter of the region to go and rescue the "unfortunate" maiden.

Mickey had risen sharply from his coffin when he felt knocks on the door, growling annoyed. Who would  _dare_  to bother him in his midday nap when he had  _explicitly_  ordered that he wanted to rest, even for a fucking half hour? He opened the lid with one blow, ready to sink his fangs into the poor  _tormented_   _soul_  that would have dared to interrupt him... In his disconcert, the figure of the "poor tormented soul" who looked at him belonged of a black male rabbit who was looking at him sarcastically, with his arms crossed.

Several months ago, Oswald Abraham Van Helsing had been hired by the banker Scrooge McDuck to search for his niece Mina, abducted by the terrible Count Mickey. Although the rabbit had refused at first, a heavy bag of gold coins had changed his mind. And it was that way, for many years, many lords and powerful people came to Oswald to get rid of the monsters and other vermin when the other hunters with  _better_  reputation and status had failed miserably. That had earned him a reputation as a ruthless scavenger and mercenary, a reputation heightened by repudiation and general fear of his family's name; that is why Oswald had always preferred, just like Mickey, the inevitable loneliness of his work and destiny, only that he had always shared that with his beloved wife and some scarce but loyal friends.

Their first meeting, as is logical, wasn't on the best terms. Like a pair of wolves biting each other, Oswald and Mickey had engaged in a titanic near-death struggle that had lasted several days until finally, both wounded and exhausted, had ended in a strange draw, caused by a greater force : Mina had become a vampire in a desperate attempt of Mickey to save her from an atrocious death and she had shouted at the hunter that, if he killed Mickey, he should also kill her, because she could never live without him. Oswald, moved by that, had accepted that this mission was lost from the very beginning and broke the contract, from that moment he became friend of the being he had sworn to destroy.

"Give me a good reason to not impale you right now!" Mickey exclaimed exasperated when he saw Oswald's bored face as he didn't stop looking at him without saying anything.

"Because if you do, my spirit would return from the dead to fuck your damned immortal existence until the sky collapses or that finally bores me" the black rabbit replied sarcastically. "Mina tells you that she is almost finishing her dress and wants to see you so that you can give her your opinion."

A blush appeared on the vampire mouse's cheeks, to Oswald's disguised amusement.

For the past week and a half, the entire castle was preparing for the union of Mickey Dragul with Mina Murray in the chapel of the castle, because Uncle Scrooge, after accepting by force (and in part thanks to the very generous dowry that he received by the mouse) that his niece had become a vampire and had fallen in love with her captor, had insisted until the weariness in his letters that, at least, the Count have the decency to marry her as God intended,  _"And not have her there as if she was a concubine"_  he had written in one of his letters, to Mina's outrage and Mickey's rage, who needed all the strength and threats from Oswald to not go gut the old banker for such an insult. So much had insisted that, making a dent in them, they had begun the preparations.

"Sometimes I cannot believe that I'm doing this, lately I have believed in free and wild love, totally  _oblivious_  to those rigid and absurd formalities and protocols of the mortal's marriages" Mickey snorted, stretching out of his coffin "Is it always like that, Oswald? "

"I couldn't tell you, because usually among mortals, marriages are just a contract, an agreement so that the fortune of both families are insured. Many times, the feelings are not  _even_  considered, so those who marry for love are practically a rarity in our times."

"...Like you and your wife, right?" Mickey teased him maliciously, causing a slight blush on the rabbit, who looked at him with angry embarrassment.

On the other side of the lobby of the castle, in a room with large windows covered in dark linen, a female mouse was just tying the tight corset that closed her wedding dress, helped by a female black cat wearing a small flowered hat. Mina let out a long sigh.

"It's strange, Ortensia: Almost a year ago I had tried a wedding dress (heavier and more ornate than this) in my hometown, just thinking about my misfortune of having to marry that buffoon of Duke Mortimer Mouse, just wanting to break it in pieces and escape from that place, wherever I went, as long as I did not have to use it again... unless it was with someone that I really loved, and look at me now! Trying another wedding dress, but this time wishing the day is here."

"I couldn't tell you, because from the moment I tried on my wedding dress, I  _knew_  that was what I  _wanted_  to do" Ortensia mused with a hint of nostalgia in her voice, artistically tying the vampire countess's corset cords. "You hadn't had the luck to join a man that you really love until now, and unfortunately in the time we live, very few women achieve that."

"Well you're one of those few lucky girls then" Mina told her gently, making the female black kitten blush shyly. At that moment they knocked on the door and both women were taken off. "It's open!"

"My dear Mina, but how wonderful you look!" Count Mickey exclaimed with delight as he opened the bedroom door, followed by Oswald. "You don't know how exquisitely beautiful you look in that dress, that you would make even the dead shine their eyes" he mused embracing his beloved and looking at her with tender adoration, receiving a radiant smile from the little mouse. Behind them, Oswald made a mocking face.

"You know, to be the  _terrible_  Count Dragul of Transylvania, you are too soft and cheesy" said the rabbit sarcastically, but the happy pair of vampires olympically ignored him. At that moment, he felt feminine arms that surrounded him in a soft embrace from behind, something that Oswald received with complete delight and pleasure.

"Leave them in their moment of happiness that, to be condemned creatures, they don't have many and they should treasure them as they can," Ortensia scolded him softly. "Doesn't  _this_  bring you memories, Hunny Bunny?" she whispered into his ear, causing a slight shuddering and a sly grin from the vampire hunter, looking at her tenderly.

"As if it had been yesterday, Honeybunch," the male rabbit murmured, looking that the brightness of the glass windows resembling a lot like the brightness of the stained glass in the form of saints and the Blessed Virgin of that little chapel in the forest of Nottingham, almost ten years ago…

_"...With this hand, I will sustain your longings. Your cup will never be empty, because I will be your wine. With this ring, I ask you to join me…"_

_After exchanging the simple rings of pure silver (for protection against werewolves), the friar joined their hands. Their fingers (hers, the daughter of a banker, soft and refined; his, son of a vampire hunter, rough and hardened) were intertwined in a tender gesture that was as sure and solemn as a kiss, like if the hands of two beings united in a single prayer... And it was like this: They were two beings that at that moment united before the Creator in an eternal prayer._

_"Here I take thee, Ortensia, as my wedded wife, to have and keep you in my bed and house..." (1)_

_The female black kitten, excited and trembling (both for what is happening and for the latent danger of being discovered), closed her eyelids as if she could barely stand the intensity of her husband's gaze. Everything that was happening to her was too beautiful, even after she had defied her parent's will and despised her inheritance to go with (in the words of her aunts) "a wolf with rabbit's skin". It didn't matter in the end, just as it didn't matter that no one from her family had come, making the chapel emptier than it was, barely counting among Oswald's friends, Sir Robin Hood and his wife Lady Marian, the old aya Widow Tweed and Clarabelle, among others, accompanying them in the scarce, but very warm celebration. All that mattered at that moment were the two of them, uniting as they had wished._

_"By the power that God grants me, we unite the lives of these two creatures through love and faith" the friar Tuck recited extending his wide bear arms before the couple "I declare you, husband and wife._ _Oswald,_ _you can now kiss your wife...!"_

"And you say I'm soft and cheesy!" Mickey exclaimed mockingly as he saw his old archenemy cuddling and kissing with Ortensia with tender abandonment as if they had completely  _forgotten_  to be in the same room as them, lost in their good memories. After the third noisy cough, the rabbit and the cat parted, blushing violently and looking at the ground with embarrassment. Mina and Mickey laughed.

"In that case, we are ready for the ceremony, today at midnight" said the female mouse taking the white veil with a simple worn headband, borrowed from Ortensia to fulfill the tradition so demanded by uncle Scrooge to be a "traditional wedding" as possible, even with vampires. She couldn't help but put it on her head and feel it in her hands, because after being a vampire she could no longer see herself in the mirror. Instantly she was enveloped in the count's loving claws, squeezing her in a hug as if he didn't want to let her go.

"Oh, my sweet Mina, I have to  _restrain_  myself too much in not advancing the wedding night in this  _very_  moment after to see you so beautiful and radiant, that I can  _barely_  control myself…"

"I have no problem doing so, my sweet  _lord_ , I cannot wait any longer for you to hold me in your arms  _and_  in your wide bed..."

"Could you even wait for us to leave the room before you start with that again?" Oswald grumbled, taking his wife's arm and reaching the doorway.

"You guys can retreat now to rest or do whatever you want in intimacy, the 421th son will not be made alone," Mickey replied mischievously to the rabbit, who needed all his willpower to not shoot to the vampire with his Carabine or, at least, throw him one of his heavy leather boots on his head.

The shadows on the Dragul's Castle slithered along its imposing walls as the sun came to rest on its cloudy bed. The moon would soon appear and with it, the beginning of the celebration.

_To be continued._


	2. Blizzard of Missives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The arrival of the dear uncle Scrooge will be dotted with plans and a strange visit.

"I'd  _appreciate_  it if you were careful to hang my cloak, it's not that it's expensive or anything, but I  _don't_  want to spend five pennies again on another, do you understand?"

Mina nodded with a smile that more resembled an uncomfortable grimace at the seemingly endless requests of the dear uncle Scrooge. The count Mickey wasn't so adept at disguising his frustration by practically receiving orders in his own abode where he was the undisputed owner... Well, until the old banker had arrived at dusk, by himself as always to avoid paying escorts. The ghosts who lived in the castle and acted as servants and bodyguards of the Counts growled under their breath as they carried the scant but equally heavy suitcase of the old duck into the room that they had been set up for him, even though he had insisted that he wasn't going to stay a lot.

"It may be a white desert at this time of year, but I imagine that these lands are quite rich in spring and summer, Dragul" Scrooge McDuck said, looking at the mountainous landscape from the castle's wide balcony after making the typical tour of the new home of his niece. Mickey finally composed an expression that wasn't the frustrated boredom or secret desires to make stew of English duck with him.

"Certainly yes; something that Transylvania is proud of is its extensive trade, even with our ancient enemies in Turkey," the vampire mouse explained indolently, still carrying in his arm his beautiful fiancée. "Do you have any interest in making a commercial treaty next year, Mr. McDuck...?"

"Please call me Uncle Scrooge, because I can practically consider you now my nephew," Scrooge replied with the same careless indolence that left Mickey and Mina perplexed. "Oh, why do you see me with a dissected frog face? If you are going to marry my niece, so you are already part of our family, as is logical. Don't these things happen among your...  _species_?"

"Well..." Mickey, still puzzling, glanced at Oswald for advice, but at that moment the black rabbit seemed embroiled in a long conversation with Ortensia and he hadn't even seen him back. He sighed and looked back at the banker. "Yes, in my family and in my..." He cleared his throat "... _Race_ , there are also those customs and treatments that mortals."

"Then don't say more, I already have plans to expand my business, so this border with the great Asia will be a  _wonderful_  springboard to jump... Well then, it's fortunate that my dear Mina had found you, hehehe."

 _"That's funny, you thought so different less than a year ago and you even sent a mercenary to gut me, dear uncle"_  Mickey thought wryly. "I don't attribute it as much to luck, but to fate, to have met Mina that night. My mother always believed in that and she instilled it in me from my childhood, Uncle Scrooge," he added aloud, receiving a warm smile from Mina.

"Destiny, luck, it's all the same," Scrooge murmured, waving a hand as he finally reached the dining room where the servants announced that dinner would soon be served. It was a tremendously luxurious and spacious place, more like a real ballroom than a common dining room, surrounded by twelve windows where you could see the snowstorm. From the ceiling hung large candle chandeliers that warmly illuminated the scene. The decoration, on the other hand, was sober and simple, limited to dark tapestries with the Dragul's coat of arms in the windows, some paintings and armors scattered around the corners. Uncle Scrooge looked at both sides, apparently looking for something. "Where are the toilets? I imagine that, even if you don't have mirrors here, you can still wash, right? Oh, there it is, I hope there is hot water in this little room!

Just a few seconds after he left the room, the pair of vampires let out a loud sigh, finally relaxing.

"I  _swear_ to you by my mother that your uncle is a nightmare, my dear," Mickey muttered, already fed up, squeezing the bridge of his nose and sighing, "I don't know how did you bear him during all your mortal childhood."

"Well, at least he can tolerate you and if he thinks about doing business with you, it's a sign that he  _likes_  you... well, at least in his  _own_  way," Mina told him in a conciliatory way, squeezing his arm affectionately.

"At least he speaks to you without repudiation. Many,  _many_  moons have passed, and my father still doesn't bear my Oswald," Ortensia told him with a sad smile. Her husband, already lounging in one of the soft chairs of the ornate mahogany table, composed a smile between ironic and resigned.

"It's true, not  _even_  the blessing has given me. So, if I'm was you, I  _wouldn't_  complain too much.

"In that case I cannot help but wonder: If your father-in-law  _detests_  you so much, how the  _hell_  did you marry his daughter?"

Oswald's smile was transformed from an ironic and almost predatory one, that honestly would have looked better in a wolf than a rabbit. "Let's say... he hadn't option: A so-called old friend of him had taken 'Tensia with him in order to force her to marry him to a mountain that the locals said was full of goblins rather aggressive... Only he didn't know that. The old banker came to offer me a bag with a hundred gold coins for going to look for it because at that moment there was not another hunter in the town to ask for that."

"And what did you say?" Mina asked him, taking an interest in the story and practically ignoring her uncle Scrooge, who had returned from the baths and now complained that he was starving and would not drink any blood cup.

"Well..." Oswald's smile widened even more as he stared at the beautiful black-haired kitten sitting next to him. "Basically, I slashed his bag of coins with my dagger and told him that not even 1000 coins were going to be worth the same... as Ortensia's hand."

"Oh, how romantic!" Mina sighed, smiling ( _"Oh, what a waste!"_  Uncle Scrooge mumbled, grimacing.)

"It was funny, Ozzie dispatched the goblins and made my captor flee with such bad luck that the police ended up catching him. Since it was still night, we had to stay in the mountains, in the heat of a bonfire, looking the stars and...  _well_ , leaving on  _very good_  terms our love already started some time ago with the letters" Ortensia told with a sweet smile matching with (to Oswald's eyes) an adorable pink blush on her pale cheeks. "And even when he returned me safe and sound, my father tried to refuse to our marriage, but...," She giggled "In the end he gave way by a legal vacuum.

"Legal vacuum?" Mickey asked, taking a gold cup filled with blood and taking a long sip.

The vampire hunter let out a laugh: "The old man had asked me to rescue 'Tensia at the moment the village mayor was present, they were friends and partners... He had to remind my dear father-in-law that he had accepted my only condition and by word of honor and gentleman, he couldn't refuse... And well, here we are," he concluded, gently taking the hand of his wife.

"They usually say that this kind of union without family permission or blessing  _doesn't_  last long, but it seems that in both of you it is the exception," Uncle Scrooge said with slight severity, focusing his glasses on them.

"The life in the streets and in the wild chasing monsters have taught me that in the  _absence_  of permission, what is left is  _will_ " Oswald stated with emphasis, taking a bite of a carrot from his plate of stew, just served by the ghosts of the castle. Scrooge was about to reply him, but the smell of roasted cake made him desist.

Due precisely to Uncle Scrooge's visit, a lavish dinner had been prepared in an attempt to keep the old man happy and without so many complaints. Mickey could not help but be bothered by the amount of food used to please his (now) uncle when blood and its derivatives were only usually consumed, only adding some food such as meats and vegetables in case of unexpected visitors or mainly when Oswald and Ortensia were passing through the castle in a mission. With a frown he took another long sip of blood, until he noticed the look of his sweet Mina on him, making him smile too, and, imitating Oswald, ending by taking her hand with affection as well.

* * *

At the time of serving the desserts, wafers and cakes plus a wine and sugar liqueurs, the tension that had been since the arrival of Uncle Scrooge had already dissipated. Scrooge was entertained by counting his coins from his so-called "lucky bag", making sure he hadn't lost any on his long journey. Mina and Ortensia were chatting animatedly about their past experiences and finally Mickey and Oswald had risen from the table and were talking quietly in one of the dining room windows, watching the fast snowflakes go by.

"So, finally, the terrible " ** _Drăkulea_** "(1) has received the  _leash_ " Oswald said with mockery, a taunt that Count Dragul could tolerate by only him... In a way.

"Said that the one who is  _using_  the leash for how long... Ehh... How long ago exactly, Oz?"

"Practically ten years. I can hardly believe that it has happened so much, it seems that it was yesterday when she found me wounded after facing a vampire and she had healed me, always staying by my side (2), from that moment I knew... I knew that she would be the only woman in the world to me... That said an old mentor of mine, may God have in his glory, that is like an epiphany that hits you like a blow to the head."

"It  _won't_  be that the blow in the head that you received in our first fight?" Mickey replied maliciously. Oswald laughed. "Really just ten years? That's practically a blink for me, a very slight minutia... "Oswald was going to protest, but Mickey raised his hand; "...But I imagine that, for you mortals, it is something vital. By having your life placed in a giant hourglass that is slowly emptying, each moment counts and must be treasured as something unique and precious that will never be repeated... I must admit that it's something that I envy of you and Ortensia, Oswald."

"You?  _Envy me_?" The black rabbit asked between the perplexity of what he had heard and the fun of seeing the shame reflected in the face of his old adversary.

"Hey, don't repeat that either! What I mean is since I'm immortal, ten years seem absolutely  _nothing_  for me... but for you, Oswald, since you're mortal,  _every_  second is  _precious_ , every moment, as well as every memory, adventure and night shared with Ortensia with a strong intensity, or  _am_  I wrong?" The last statement was certainly redundant but included it only for the pleasure of seeing the rabbit ashamed and reluctantly admit that he was right.

"That's why I'm thinking of taking me to 'Tensia by the warm waters of the south. While we have traveled a lot of Europe, we have never ventured beyond that. I don't know, perhaps visiting a friend of mine who is also a hunter and who lives in South America, Panchito Pistoles, or navigating those warm coasts in Samoa... I don't know, something that could be special for her.

"Don't digress so much, my friend. I have learned from you that improvisation is better and as I said, it is better to take advantage of the moment and launch yourself into the unknown, in search of your blow in the head " Mickey said with a mischievous smile.

"Not as much as the blow I gave you with my American fist made of pure silver," Oswald smiled slyly. "Maybe you're right, it's just that I want to do something special for my wife. She has been bearing me for a decade and that is worth a lot."

"And  _coming_  from  _you_ , much more," the vampiric Count added. Both couldn't help but laugh. At that moment, a long, four-legged figure entered the large room, wasting no time in throwing himself at the top of Count Dragul. "Hey, Pluto, calm down! What's the excitement about, boy?"

Pluto was Mickey's favorite dog. Like his future wife, he had found him in the middle of a winter night, wandering alone and hurt. In other circumstances, being hungry and wanting to end his pain, he would have emptied him completely of blood, but the tenderness and confidence that the dog had given him despite his terrifying appearance had moved him, managing to save him from a terrible death... Since then he was his faithful and cheerful companion. Now he jumped frantically on his master, barking endlessly, drawing the attention of others in the great room.

"Could it be that he saw something that scared him?" Ortensia asked, staying prudently away from the dog. Pluto was generally very playful, but she was usually scared of dogs by nature, and  _more_ from a vampirized one.

"I don't know, what's the matter, boy? Did you see any ghoul in the attic?" Mickey asked affectionately, caressing his long drooping ears, in that moment entered three ghosts that were always together, Phineas, Ezra and Gus, the self-proclaimed "Hitchhiking Ghosts" of the castle

"We came to warn that a huge and unidentified elongated figure is flying towards the castle" Phineas informed in a cheerful voice. Mickey almost spit his blood wine sip.

"And why  _haven't_  you guys knocked it down yet?" Mickey asked angrily.

"We don't know what it was, so we came to warn, although the pipsqueak arrived earlier" Ezra continued pointing to Pluto, who was now biting Mickey's dark pants trying to pull him towards the door.

"Say that again and I'll lock you up in the haunted basement," the vampire growled, thinking about the safety of Mina and his uncle. "Do you know at least who (or what) it is?"

"From what I saw, it looked like a dragon, or maybe a griffin, I do not know exactly "Gus finished.

"Very well." Mickey left the glass with determination. "Oswald..."

"Don't say more," the rabbit replied fiercely, taking out one of his spark guns from the lapel of his long dark coat. Mickey was perplexed.

"Eh... Do you  _always_  carry that with you?"

"My dear Count, I'm offended by that question, it's part of my job," Oswald replied as they ran to the exit of the dining room. "Ortensia, quick, look for my rifle, is—"

"...Under the bed, I know dear. I'll be back!" His wife finished the phrase for him, separating from them and running towards the opposite lobby.

* * *

Mickey, Oswald, Mina and Pluto ran to one of the balconies located just below the edge of the great bell tower. The snowstorm had subsided a little, but there were still icy bursts that churned the fur coats that they had quickly took in their run toward the top of the castle, as well as Mina's long hair. Mickey squinted toward the horizon, using his vampiric senses in search of the intruder... Suddenly, an elongated figure with wings stumbled in the air wrapped in clouds. At his side, Oswald tried to follow his path with his binoculars.

"It seems a dragon, or perhaps it is only a bird, although I doubt about the last one, no bird would be so  _insane_  to fly in such a climate like this. Ortensia, did you bring the rifle?"

"Here you are," the black kitten answered a few seconds later, breathing hard and handing him the long-range weapon.

The rabbit supported him on his shoulder and pointed it at the sky. "Tell me when, Mick"

"A little more... a little more... Damn, he's moving too much," Mickey grunted gritted his teeth, "that's... a little more, and... Fire!"

The being waved again in the air, avoiding Oswald's bullet in one of its wings by a few centimeters. The hunter charged again, ready to give another try, until he could hear a voice through his long ears.

_"...Shoot... No... ...Enemies ...Peace!"_

"Shoot, Oswald!" Mickey yelled, but Oswald lowered his rifle, straining his ears:  _"Don't... shoot... don't shoot..."_

"They say we don't shoot them, they're not enemies!" Oswald shouted, trying to make himself understood in the sharp blizzard.

"And how the hell do you know that?! They can say anything to cheat us!" Uncle Scrooge moaned from behind them, startling them, making them forget about the being in the air.

Mickey was going to reply, but then the flying figure ended up descending and hovering over their heads, rushed down with the speed of a bullet, letting out some high-pitched cries that didn't seem to be from any monster, until finally skidding over the wide garden of the entrance of the castle, finally slightly buried in the snow. Everyone rushed inside to look for the stairs (Well, in fact, Oswald, Ortensia and Uncle Scrooge did that, since Mickey and Mina just flew into the garden in the middle of a dark cloud of bats. The two vampires apprehensively approached the mound of snow that was right next to the stone fountain; At that moment the other three left through the front door, approaching the vampire couple. When everyone gathered together, they got a little closer, with Mickey with their large fangs exposed and Oswald with his rifle loaded and pointed at the pile... Suddenly, the being emerged from the snow, revealing itself as a... Albatross?

"Wow, what a landing! And then they say it's possible to fly in winter!" the huge bird said shaking off the snow of its white plumage, and then observe the five characters who looked at him perplexed, "Oh, hi there... Is there something on my face?"

"Express your  _intentions_  and your  _identity_!" Mickey hissed, keeping in front of Mina in case he had to protect her, which, being an albatross, gave a somewhat ridiculous air to the scene.

"Ah, yes, yes, of course. My name is Orville, transporter albatross, I come with two travelers who have come to look for Count Dragul."

"Travelers? What travelers?" Oswald asked, still pointing the weapon at him. At that, muffled cries came to them:

"Here we are!" Even more surprised, everyone came closer to the mound where the albatross had emerged, showing now two small mice struggling to get out of the snow. He was a plump gray-haired mouse wearing a dark cap and a blue coat, holding a white female mouse with a Russian beret and a purple fur coat. Seeing that they had difficulty getting out of the snow, they were helped by Ortensia and Mina, holding them to keep them from sinking.

* * *

"Thank you very much for accepting us, we would like to apologize for the scare and for not being able to warn about our arrival before" the white female mouse said softly with a soft Hungarian accent, receiving with a smile the cup of hot tea that Oswald handed to her, then she took out a ID tag. "My name is Bianca, and he's my dear partner and husband, Bernard. We're part of the R.I.S. (3)"

"Nice to meet you, we regret the scare, is that we were almost shot down in flight," Bernardo said suspiciously, speaking with an obvious American accent. They had been taken to the cozy fireplace in the living room, whose fire was already burning so that everyone could warm up, especially Uncle Scrooge and Orville, whom were rubbing their butts near the flames.

"My apologies for that, we didn't know about you and we thought you were some intruder," Oswald apologized, "but why are you looking for Count Dragul?"

"We come to bring you a letter from one of our allies, urgently need your help, Count Dragul... And since we are here, also from you, Mr. Van Helsing" Bianca added to the astonishment of both men. The female mouse pulled out two bundles of parchment tied tightly from her purse and handed them to both of them. Mickey and Oswald took them and opened them, reading them carefully. For their part, Mina and Ortensia approached their respective mates, trying to read as well.

Oswald finished reading first, rolled up the letter and looked curiously at Bianca; "Detective Basil, from Baker Street, asking us to go to England as soon as possible?"

"That's right, it's an important issue."

"And that  _cannot_  wait? I am right now in the middle of something very  _personal_  and  _private_." Mickey replied impatiently, looking at his beloved Mina.

"We regret that, my lord, but it is something  _really_  important."

"Oh yeah?  _How_  important?"

" _So_  important that it can lead to a war in all of Europe and, if  _possible_ , in the world. Bernard said gravely, fixedly staring at Mickey and Oswald.

The vampire and the hunter looked at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) "Son of demon" in Romanian. From this nickname would be created phonetically the famous name "Dracula".
> 
> (2) Based entirely on the short comic "Legacy of a name", also created by Twisted-Wind, which tells the "birth" of the legend of Oswald Van Helsing as a vampire hunter.
> 
> (3) R.I.S. stands for Rescue Aid Society.
> 
> New chapter, friends! What a way to end up with a cliffhanger!


	3. Harwich Mists

They had already passed a good distance between winding frozen streams, forests of bare trees whipped by the wind and roads completely desolate and devastated by the storms. The sun, haggard, gave from time to time a faint sign of life among the impenetrable clouds. The small carriage of dark curtains rattled noisily among the different types of terrains on their long journey of more than eighty leagues, with their various occupants looking around the depressing landscape to try to entertain themselves for the following days.

_Fragments from Ortensia Van Helsing's diary, dated January 20:_

_"This journey of more than a week with few interruptions is causing more havoc than one might suppose; the last stop of more than six hours we could do in Vienna was used to change the horses, resupply and sleep, even a little. (...) It will only be a matter of days before we arrive in Germany and from there, we can rest a little more. We really need it, Oswald has huge dark circles for sleeping so little._

_Count Mickey has been acting strange since the beginning of the trip. Sometimes he starts grumbling and growling, saying that it is absurd for a foreign country to ask for his help when he already has a kingdom to lead, that my husband better take care of this case and leave him alone to enjoy his recent marriage with Miss Mina. (...) In itself, his wedding was celebrated in a hurry, with even more hurry than ours, canceling his plans of a 'honeymoon of fright', as he himself said between snorts. It was in those moments where Mina managed to 'calm her beast':_

_"Look at the bright side, honey: London has an extremely nice and charming air; besides being so foggy that we won't have to wait to walk at night, and the best thing is that I'll go through that everything with you, my sweet heart." Without a doubt, that made the mouse happy, at least for a good couple of hours, avoiding him to think about what he would have to face there (...)_

_(...) I've heard a lot about Mr. Basil from Baker Street. Many don't hesitate to point to him as the best detective alive today, who has solved dozens of cases considered impossible (...) What case could be that not only need help from my Oswald, but also Lord Dragul? Well, Providence will tell us._ "

* * *

They finally arrived at the German state after a two-day break in a small village on the Austro-Hungarian border to regain strength, especially the Dragul marriage. Mickey wasn't used to such a long trip and he knew that the longer the trip, the hungrier he would be and, therefore, the need to feed would be urgent. They had managed to solve the first week with large bottles of blood in the bottom of the carriage, but soon there was the need to hunt.

"I only hope that the letter sent to Donald and his uncle arrived before we arrived in Frankfurt, it would be a significant delay in our trip if it weren't so" Oswald was saying during a stop at the edge of a German village, staying the farthest possible of the townsfolks so that they don't raise their tridents against Mickey with only seeing him.

"Do you really think they're going to join us in this? It's not for nothing, Oz, but the letter doesn't say that they need for more help apart from you and me," Mickey said as he emptied the fifth squirrel that they had found, until it was an empty shell on the cold floor. The vampire hunter shrugged.

"They would be useful without a doubt, but not so much for that, but for this..." And rummaging through his bag, pulled out an old worn book, showing him a list of objects, "I need to replenish some things that the old professor has in his office and which, surely, he will be happy to provide me of them."

"Things? Let me see that." The vampire's eyes widened in surprise and shock as he quickly read the book as he snatched it from his hands. "Did you go crazy, lagomorph? You're really telling me that this professor has some...!"

"Do you want to be heard, rodent? And come here with their sticks and tridents? If it were me..., " the rabbit snapped at him, grabbing him by the muzzle, making him shut up; "It is possible that what we face is something that is not human or monstrous, so we must be prepared and not trust too much."

Mickey snorted as he let go of the grip. "What are you worried about, Ozzie? In case you didn't know, you are with Count Dragul in person, someone who has devastated entire groups of hunters and adventurers who have dared to enter my lands without sweating or gout. Besides, haven't you faced all kinds of monsters in your career? I'm sure that whatever we are going to see there, it will not be different from what we have seen before."

"God hear you, rodent," the mercenary muttered, taking a swig from his iron flask. In the distance, the shadows of early morning were sliding over the distant hills, hinting that it was time to get into the carriage and continue.

Mickey had entered the carriage to accommodate himself in the small space that had been conditioned between curtains and cushions so that no ray of sunlight, however weak, entered the vehicle and bothered him or Mina during their dream.

* * *

Undoubtedly, the most complicated part (and at the same time not) of the trip was undoubtedly the possibility of the road raiders. We say that because of the few who dared to attack the lonely carriage without apparent escorts, especially on the French border, still convulsed by the reminiscences of the Revolution, left  _very_  fucked thanks to both the excellent marksmanship of Oswald and thirst of blood from the Dragul's...  _especially_  from Mina.

The young neophyte female vampire had been experiencing something that was fascinating and disturbing. Mickey had explained it to Oswald and Ortensia during the first attack on a group of bandits in Marseille: The first year of a vampire converted after the  _embrace_  (1) is usually marked by brief episodes of an intense and fiery red  _frenzy_ , in the which will attack the chosen prey with a particularly  _brutal_  enthusiasm and energy, even for a vampire with eons of age... Without any doubt, it left the Van Helsing couple perplexed to see the seemingly fragile and enchanting Mina tear the flesh of a bandoleer weasel between dreadful grunts that reminded more of a rabid dog than a lady. Mickey, on the other hand, had found it simply  _delightful_.

"Is not my dear wife  _so_  beautiful?" Mickey said with a face of hopeless love when he saw the little vampire mouse licking the remaining of blood that had stained her face.

"Yeah... it's certainly  _fascinating_ ," Oswald replied with disguised horror at the spectacle while making a mental note:  _"Garlic oil from now on for Ortensia and me before sleep."_

* * *

_Fragments from Oswald Van Helsing's diary, dated from January 28 to 30._

_"We finally arrived in Frankfurt after a two-day delay, courtesy of Mrs. Mina, we had the bad luck that some villagers in a village saw her feeding and it wasn't long before an affray broke out. Is a luck that Count Mickey is known even in those places, because otherwise we would have called even more attention with a massacre of peasants in a single day. (...) Her vampiric state known by the simple name of "frenzy" is something that must be handled with be careful, especially when being close to her during this state (...) I don't know if all the neophytes have the same pattern of behavior, but it's rather disturbing to think that we have to be close to her when she "gets out of control"._

_Mickey said that he could control her and that there would be no problem, but I don't trust: If Mina in that state approaches me or worse, to Ortensia, I won't hesitate to empty the whole shotgun._

_(...) Well, we entered Frankfurt and I couldn't' hide my disappointment at not being able to find Professor von Drake in his residence inside the academy where he worked. I only found one note, saying that he had rushed to Sweden for a scientific matter and that he couldn't receive me, but that he would leave the objects that I had ordered in his main office... Only he wasn't able to leave the key to open it. (...) I hope he forgive me for the shattered door. Sometimes I wonder how he can be so brilliant and at the same time so clueless._

_Although not everything was so lost: One of the servants of the place gave me a letter from Donald, saying that at that time was in Wales and after knowing our destination, we will meet there. I certainly hope to see him, he has turned out to be a good friend. (...) Soon we will arrive in Calais. After so many days of heavy travel by land, now it will be by sea to the coast of Harwich. (...) We will have to be able to embark a couple of vampires without the sailors discovering it and end up throwing us out to sea. "_

* * *

At the moment of boarding a ship in the port of Calais was not exempt from incidents of all kinds, some funny and others somewhat unpleasant.

"Do you want to carry a load of more than 30 kilograms of crabs to Harwich inside these two boxes?" A frowning sailor fox asked to the couple in front, consisting of a male rabbit and a female cat with Dutch accents.

"Exactly. And it's very important that they are transported to that destination, so we don't skimp on the cost."

"That was precisely what I was going to tell you,  _Messire_ , because the ship I own can certainly carry that load so... Curious as the one that you have here, but the weight causes the price to increase."

"We told you, we  _don't_  skimp the price. Put it on and we'll pay for it" the female cat replied, with an air of resolute and a charming smile.

"Oh, I could never make a rebuff to such a beautiful lady as you are,  _Mademoiselle_..." And kissed her hand, receiving a feigned giggle from Ortensia and a low growl from Oswald; "When do you want to go to sea?"

"As much as possible, tonight."

"They would be in that case like 80 gold coins... Can you pay that?"

"Do you doubt our word, sir?" Oswald replied with arched eyebrows, taking out a small chest with a mountain of gold coins that left the sailor dazzled and almost gasping, opening and closing his mouth as if he was a fish "Well? What do you'll tell us?"

"What-what do I tell you? I say... Hook up those two boxes, couple of loafers of mine, we set sail to Harwich tonight!"

The Van Helsing marriage discreetly exchanged a boastful smile. Soon, a pair of gorillas lifted the two closed wooden boxes and walked towards the access ramps of the great wooden ship that was about to take to the sea. After leaving them in the cellar under the ship's cabin, one of them snorted at his companion:

"Did you notice that the boxes have holes in the sides?"

"Yes, I noticed that too: Not that the cargo is about crabs? It will fill the boat with the smell of rotten crustacean."

"Well, not so rotten either, because I swear that I heard a strange noise when I threw one of the boxes, like a...  _gasp_."

"Who knows what kind of strange things those two passengers have there...  _Maybe_  we can take a look when everyone falls asleep."

"Hehe, it sounds like a good plan...

**...**

"Hunny Bunny, I brought this to you. It's getting too cold."

"Oh, thanks Ortensia!" Her husband smiled as he accepted the chocolate cup that the female black cat had brought him. He blew several before taking a long sip. Warming his hands in the heat of the cup, he asked her in a whisper: "Haven't they tried anything weird?"

"Nothing so far," she informed him softly, rubbing her sides in her fur cape, "apparently they swallowed the disguise of the fake cargo. We'll see how we'll get them out without letting off suspicion."

The couple was silent, watching the impenetrable clouds of the night sky from the bow of the boat where the vampire hunter had been since the sunset had agonized. After a few hours, the little houses that framed the port of Calais had stopped being seen, so they were in the middle of the English Channel, in the middle of a deaf silence sometimes broken by the noises that the ship's hull produced when broke thin layers of ice in the water or with the sharp whistles of wind gusts. Ortensia, still rubbing her limbs to ward off the cold, stared at him: Oswald seemed to be absorbed in something, barely moving to bring to his lips the steaming cup, which meant he had a real swarm of thoughts hovering in his head.

"You're worried about the letter, right? Ortensia asked suddenly, making him jump a little. She put a warm paw on his shoulder. "We  _all_  are, dear. I'm sure Count Mickey fears  _just_  like you.

"Gee, you can see him  _fearing_  with that air of sufficiency so irritating that he has," the black rabbit said with typical sarcasm, "it's not so much that, I just remembered something... Do you remember that we had embarked towards Harwich because you were supposedly accompanied me on a mission with the queen...?"

The female cat's cheeks colored, matching the pink shawl she was wearing, and then she let out a mischievous smile "...Of course I remember it. Oh, my perfidious Oswald,  _solemnly_  swearing that it was  _really_  a royalty mission in order to my dad could let me go with you...

"Hey, I had to do it, the fussy one of your father made so many ridiculous excuses to avoid our marriage that I was fed up," Oswald replied with a shrug and laughing for the first time on that long trip. "And he  _should_  be grateful, my first idea was simply raptuting you"

"Wow, that romantic sounds that," Ortensia answered without a trace of irony in her voice but rather almost flattering, savoring the perspective "...I wonder how it would have been like that."

"Well Mrs. Van Helsing, you can still do it if you wish," the hunter declared the with a smirk that left the feline astonished, then she composed a giggle.

"Hmm, that sounds like a deal to me, Mr. Van Helsing; What do you have in mind for rapturing me?" She asked in a sweet purr. Oswald responded by suddenly surrounding his wife's waist and pulling her closer to him.

"A long and  _pleasant_  rapture through the warm waters of the South, once we get out of this mess... Deal?" The cat let out another giggle and snuggled into her husband's shoulder.

"Do I  _have_  to answer that?" She teased him with a mellifluous smile, giving him a radiant and tender look from her emerald eyes. A look that without a doubt disarms without problem until the most merciless mercenary as he was. Without saying anything, the rabbit just closed the hug more, bringing that beautiful face with warm lips towards him...

"... _Are_  we  _there_  yet?"

"Mickey!" The black male rabbit grumbled in annoyance at the mocking voice of the vampire mouse, who was watching them with a mischievous smile and arms crossed. "Goddammit, the plan was you two to stay inside the boxes until we get to the mainland, what would happen if any of the sailors see you?"

"Relax, Oz, I just came to take a breath. It's not that I'm having so much fun with the smell of rotten crustacean in that box, for not mention that crab blood doesn't taste so good... which makes me understand even  _less_  why you mortals value seafood as food gourmet"

"That's not the point, mouse: Did someone see you leave?"

"Well, yes, it was the two gorillas who transported us in the first place with so little delicacy for my dear Mina," Seeing the perplexing face of the Van Helsing, Mickey continued: "I had heard them say that they would open our boxes in search of some treasure to steal, only to meet a vampire and... Oh, sparks,  _don't_  look at me that face, Ozzie, I didn't bite them."

"So, what did you...?"

"I hypnotized them to believe they didn't see anything and that it would be better to get drunk to sleep in the cellar," replied Mickey as if that was the most normal and  _obvious_  thing in the world, "What? I didn't bite them, nor Mina did.  _Happy_?

"As long as you don't make disasters while in the middle of the high seas," Oswald growled, still upset by the early interruption. "Where is Mina?"

"Here!" And they all turned around when they saw the female vampire mouse approaching them as if she was sliding, with ease and elegance. The cold air was rippling her pearl skirts looking almost like a spectrum... An adorable spectrum in Dragul's eyes... "Good evening everyone, are there no Moors on the coast?"

"All asleep and the captain with his eyes lost in his rudder, my dear, so we can explore at ease until dawn," Mickey answered with a smile, widening the already radiant one of his mate. Mina moved closer to the bow of the boat and extended her arms as if she wanted to fly away. Mickey smiled with tenderness and amusement; "Hehe, it seems like you were  _dying_  to get out of that stinking box."

"As you have no  _idea_ , dear," she said smiling, then, suddenly, she climbed on the edge of the ship, before the astonished gaze of the others. Before Oswald and Ortensia opened their mouths to shout at her to get down of there, she exclaimed: "Let's fly over the ocean, my husband, I want to fly with you!"

 _"Did she lose the head?!"_  Oswald thought perplexed and before he could say anything, his horror grew when he heard Mickey in turn exclaim with  _all_  enthusiasm: " _After_  you, my beloved!"

And before the sight of the male rabbit and the female cat, the two vampire mice jumped from the bow of the ship towards the sea. Both ran to lean to the edge to try to see them, only to glimpse the velvety darkness of the sea... Until two huge creatures with wings emerged from below, almost causing them to fall back from the fright... Even so, after being exposed and therefore destined to pursue and destroy monsters of all kinds, especially vampires, Oswald and Ortensia couldn't help but look with fascination at the fun and elegant acrobatics the vampire couple did from the air as they turned on themselves, describing circles, just touching the surface of the water with the tips of their feet and then ascend strongly into the gray sky. In their faces was a radiant smile as they met the eyes of the other, flying and playing together...  _"Without a doubt, the living picture of love, even if it comes from some heartless beasts,"_  the vampire hunter thought with an ironic smirk, bringing his wife closer to him, still contemplating the curious spectacle.

"Mickey, let's make a race! Can we?" the female vampire asked with a mischievous smile. Mickey smiled in turn.

" _Anything_  my lady orders... But what would be the point of arrival?"

"Humm... What do you think about that bright spot from there?"

"Yes, it sounds good, we could... Wait a moment,  _which_  luminous point?"

"What, don't you see it? Look, there it is" Mina said perplexed, pointing to a point to the northwest.

Mickey sharpened his vision. In the distance, in the light haze, there was a bright spot that shone almost like a small star. The vampire felt strange. What could that be? A buoy? Maybe another ship that issued a signal from afar? And for some reason that he couldn't understand... it  _didn't_  give him a good feel about that.

"Let's go then! Get ready and ...!"

"Mina, wait, we don't know what that can be... Mina!"

But his wife was already fluttering towards that bright spot in the distance. She was approaching more and more, and each time seemed brighter and more attractive, like a small  _crystal_... She didn't seem to realize that the sea mist seemed denser and thicker as she got closer and closer...  _"It could be a real star"_ the female mouse thought with a broad smile, remembering some stories that her mother used to read to her in her childhood about stars that came down from time to time to the earth to help others, especially children... Intoxicated by those happy memories, she didn't realized that she was almost reaching the bright spot and was already almost reaching out to touch it when... Another light appeared right next to the first one, no longer looking like a couple of stars but rather like a pair of...

"MINNIE!"

Mina blinked and recoiled as she recognized her husband's scream and the use of her affectionate nickname given by him. She turned around, scared to see that the bright lights began to blink and to approach this time towards her, revealing a round and dark shape behind them... A huge head. "Aaaaaaahhh!"

"Mina! Where are you?!"

"I'm here!" Mina yelled, fluttering backwards trying to get as far away as possible from who knows what the hell that thing was, noticing with fear that the fog was even more dense than before, thicker than coagulated blood, blurring everything around her. "Mickey, Mickey, I'm here!" She kept calling, desperate to find a way out, until she hit head-on with a body that was winged like her, but that was stronger and that surrounded her instantly.

"Mina, my dear Mina, you are safe!" She heard the Count Dragul whisper as he held her fiercely against himself; "I thought I had lost you, my love. What happened?"

"Those...! Those lights!" Mina exclaimed in a broken voice, pointing behind her, where they were... Nothing. " _No_ … they are  _not_  there! but I swear I saw two lights and behind them there was a black shadow, like that of a huge monster!"

"...We'd better get back to the ship, it's not safe to be here," Mickey said resolutely, taking her hand and flying in the opposite direction, back to the boat… There, the thing  _wasn't_  exactly calm as it was a while ago.

* * *

 

"This fog is not normal, nor at this time of year is formed this way" Oswald muttered trying to see something or his friends with his binoculars, only seeing an almost impenetrable white mantle... Every second that passed, a  _strange_  sensation ran down to his spine. A strange,  _unpleasant_  cold ran through his fur, making him bristle. Maybe it was just the cold, because he felt Ortensia at his side shudder.

"I  _wish_  it were just that, because I have a strange feeling inside me, it's like... As if that fog had  _something_... " Although she sounded firm, her body didn't stop shaking, clinging to her shawl like a lifesaver. Oswald momentarily left his unsuccessful search to look at her with concern.

"Then it would be better if you go inside, it's not safe." He told her softly, although the kitten refused vehemently. At that moment, a loud fluttering sound alerted both of them, causing them to turn sharply to the east of the bow of the ship, a pair of winged figures with round ears approaching them in a hurry. "Mick, Mina! We're here!" Two seconds later the two vampires landed on the deck, paler than usual and breathing hard, especially Mina. "What the hell happened to you?!" Oswald asked. "You both were out of sight for a long time!"

"I saw something... I saw  _something_  in the fog, a thing with bright eyes and a huge head," the female vampire mumbled with her eyes wide open in horror. Oswald was  _livid_ : Was it a monster that he didn't know about? He felt Ortensia's hands tighten his arm in response.

"It would be better if we hurried this boat, according to my calculations, we should already be arriving to the British coasts. Mickey, can you get the captain out of his trance and make him hurry up?"

"Yes, of course, of course," the Count replied, heading towards the ship's main cabin. Mina stood where she was, with a lost expression and her drooping wings almost touching the ground. Ortensia exchanged a quick glance with Oswald and then approached to her cautiously, taking her arm with affection.

"Whatever it was, it's  _gone_. We are about to arrive in Harwich. Do you want me to make you tea?" Still lost in thought, Mina nodded. Meanwhile, the captain hypnotized by Mickey gave more power to the boilers so that the steam engine came out of the thick white veil, leaving it finally behind, returning to the quiet mist of the beginning of the journey.

Mina didn't stop thinking about those  _terrifying_  and at the same time  _enigmatic_  bright eyes and almost didn't hear the joy and relief of her husband and her friends when finally seeing the distant lights of the houses of Harwich's port, charming city where almost two centuries ago, the passengers of the Mayflower went to the New World and where, even more centuries ago, the fleet of Queen Isabel had docked (2). Those same sensations of facing something new, unknown, was also seizing the small French steam boat that, like a paper boat sliding down a huge stream, was approaching its destination...

**...**

_Fragments from Basil of Baker Street's letter to Count Mickey Dragul, dated of January 12._

_"(...) Due to the recent situations that for security I refrain from giving more details, I ask you to dock at the port of Harwich, where my dear assistant, Dr Dawson will be waiting for you with some carriages for your convenient displacement. Don't try to ask him much about this. Less words are issued, less will be disclosed to possible unpleasant ears._

_I must confess that I was too conflicted at the thought of asking for help from you and Mr. Van Helsing, because usually my incredible intellect would suffice, and it would be enough to solve a mystery. I really hate to be wrong, but to my regret I must admit that this goes beyond the earthly power of the intellect of mortals and therefore, beyond my faculties as a detective. (...) It's a power beyond, a power that we cannot understand, but perhaps a creature that belongs precisely to that world would can._

_(...) I cannot wait to meet you in person, Lord Drăkulea."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) It's called as "the embrace" to the transformation of the human or mortal into a vampire. This term is widely used in the role-play game Vampire: The Masquerade.
> 
> (2) Elizabeth of England (Known as "The She-Wolf of France") had docked at Harwich in 1326 with a mercenary army to dethrone her husband, King Edward II Plantagenet.


	4. Evening Deductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing while listening the Death Note OST is very instructive... That, and watch "Whitechapel" like for six hours without stopping.
> 
> Warnings: Light smut. Explicit death descriptions.

A cold hail rattled against the tall guillotine-shaped windows, covered by long wine-colored curtains to muffle the noise. The large room was already brightly lit to receive and warm our newcomers. With his back to the fireplace, a mouse of slender built and angular features joined the pads of his long fingers, still watching with mild interest the welcome convoy that had arrived at his portico less than ten minutes ago.

"I hope that your trip to my humble abode has not been so uneasy, gentlemen. Unfortunately, the storm has not made things easier for us."

"Not as much as the trip here, detective," Mickey said, getting up and extending one of his claws to the austere mouse, "I am..."

"... Count Mickey Dragul, governor of Transylvania for more than a couple of centuries, last member of the extinct lineage of the famous Dragul family of Romania, accused by gossips and legends as a  _Vampyr Chiroptera_ , or, as the common people call you in simplified form:  _Vampire_." Basil replied with a quickness and aplomb that left Mickey speechless. After recovering from the initial surprise, he gave him a questioning and inquisitive look that the famous English detective answered without a doubt: "As stipulated in my letter, I was anxious to meet you and thus confirm my own suspicions about you, which, obviously, are all true." He sketched a smile "I hope you can forgive me for the abruptness of the trip, but as I mentioned before, it's..."

"...Urgent, yes, that's what your messengers told us and in your letter," Count Dragul replied with the same quickness, and frowning and with a hint of a growl in his voice, he continued: "I must tell you frankly, I  _don't_  really enjoy being interrupted by my personal activities with my wife in this way, so you'd better be  _really_  urgent or if you don't..."

" _Control_  yourself, mouse; Show something of princely manners, we're guests," Oswald interjected ahead of the vampire, squeezing his shoulder with one hand and with the other, pulling out a crucifix, ready to be place it to his back... And Mickey apparently noticed it, because he moved away sharply from the hunter rabbit, still with a grim expression. Basil had raised his eyebrows throughout the outburst, while at his side, his faithful assistant Dr. Dawson was trying not to show too much of his tremors.

"Please forgive my beloved husband's actions, is that he has not fed in the last hours and the lack of...  _liquid_  puts him in a bad mood" Mina replied with embarrassment, smiling with gentleness, grabbing the arm of her companion, managing to appease him a little before her touch.

"Oh, I  _already_  assumed that, Mrs. Dragul, so I took the trouble to get ahead of those inconveniences with a blood supply for the two of you." To the astonishment face of the Draguls and interrogation of the Van Helsings, he cleared his throat: "donations from hospitals for my experiments and that is the least that I can offer to both of you during your entire stay in this place. For the rest, my house will be a good place of refuge, meeting and discussion, so feel at home.

"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you right now, Mr. Basil. What exactly is this serious matter that can affect all of Europe and even the world?" Oswald asked, crossing his arms. "If it really is something urgent,  _wouldn't_  it be convenient to start discussing it now?"

"I understand your impatience, Mr. Van Helsing, but as my dear Dawson had told me, I am learning to be more... ehm...  _hospitable_  and  _open_  with other people besides myself. I would like to offer to all of you a small dinner to recover your strength and to brighten Mr. Dragul's mood, preferably" he made a dry giggle and then composed a serious face. "besides, it's a somewhat...  _shocking_  matter and I don't want to  _spoil_  your appetite beforehand."

"As you say, you are the host, guide us then," the rabbit replied, handing his saddlebags to Dr. Dawson, who almost went down on his knees to the ground with the amount of weapons and objects he was carrying in the bag.

The dinner was frugal but comforting. All sitting on the modest oak table, plates of cheese and pastries passed from hand to hand as the pair of vampires was content with pieces of raw meat and containers of blood to clear the palate. Basil watched them with interest and he seemed to be making mental notes to apply them in future experiments while poor Dawson tried by all means not to see them or even to breathe too much, because the smell of blood made him feel dizzy, looking impressed that the marriage Van Helsing was eating with absolute calm and normality, even with they were sitting practically at their side.

Once the plates were removed, they all returned to the main room to rest and, as Basil had said, to get fully involved in the matter from which he had summoned them. Sitting in the soft chairs and with their respective drinks (tea for Basil and Dawson, cider for Oswald and Ortensia and blood diluted for Mickey and Mina), they all surrounded the small rectangular table that was full of folders and papers. The indolent aspect of the renowned detective had changed to a serious one as he pulled out one of the folders, squeezing it between his fingers.

"Let me start by saying, gentlemen, that usually my privileged intellect would be enough to solve any case, but in these current circumstances... This is  _far_  beyond of my jurisdiction." He opened the folio and took out a rectangular paper. "August 27, eight at night, a boy who was passing to his home found a body on the outskirts of a landfill in the neighborhood of Soho. This, right off the bat, could be a common murder... but there is a  _detail_  that stands out." And he placed the piece of paper that turned out to be a daguerreotype (1) "Here, you can see it."

The two couples bent to look at the old black and white photograph that showed a stone floor full of dirt and some pieces of old cardboard, no doubt proof that it was a landfill area, in the center was the body of a bear with dark fur and humble clothes, standing out a cloth hat tilted in one of his ears, lying in the middle of some garbage bags. His huge mouth was open, and a frozen expression of absolute horror had managed to be immortalized in the photograph. Going further down his corpulent body that surely must have surpassed six feet tall, there was a strange black substance that covered a large part of his body, especially his abdomen and much of his thick legs, looking like ink or tar. No doubt a frightening sight, though not as much as the bear's right leg, which looked exposed and raw, as if it had been scalded in boiling water.

"Good heavens, it must have been a terrible death," Ortensia mused, observing the perplexing wound of the victim, "did you know who this person was and what was that liquid?"

"We are  _still_  in that with respect to the liquid, but about this subject is not that much can be said" Basil said taking out a manuscript paper and placing it next to the rugged photograph. "According to the vagabonds of the area, he was known as Bre'r Bear, an immigrant from the United States who lived in the area as a porter and doing cleaning services for several months. He had no criminal background and he was described as someone unintelligent, but of great strength. His death sowed panic in the neighborhood for several weeks. And then is this one..."

He took another photograph and placed it next to the first: This time it was a snake in prison suits, with the neck a large part of his body twisted into positions too abnormal for his species, evidence that his spine was broken from the inside, and next to his wide-eyed face, spots of the same black substance: "Sir Hiss, former counselor to King John, deposed for treason, was found in the wooded area of Nottingham on the afternoon of October 1th. One would think that they would be separate cases, but the brutality of their attacks and  _undoubtedly_  that disturbing black substance in their bodies makes them create a  _pattern_. And in these..."

He took two more photographs, showing in one to a couple adult turtles skinned and covered with the same substance and in the other a group of seven small turtles, clearly infants, lying on the ground with their turtle shells broken, revealing their entrails and large amounts of the same black liquid surrounding them. Ortensia  _paled_  before the second photograph, no doubt that affected her terribly as a mother and she closed her eyes, trying to erase from her mind such  _abominable_  image. Her husband, noticing that, squeezed her hand in support. "A wealthy family in the Kensington neighborhood was found murdered in their home a week ago, the parents and their seven children, all killed in the same way, and the worst is that they found them in a room locked from inside."

"No doubt a rugged image for anyone," Mickey said taking the photographs and looking at them with bored eyes, "but that doesn't seem to be  _something_  that you  _need_  help from me or Van Helsing, detective Basil. It sounds more like common crimes typical of the barbaric and violent nature of mortals. If you want to  _waste_  my time, tell me now and I better..."

"Mickey!" The vampire mouse fell silent at the sound of his wife's dry growl, surprising everyone, especially Oswald, who had already raised his hand to give him a good hit on his nape to shut him up. Basil, after recovering from the fright that provoked such a cry and scolding, cleared his throat.

"I  _was_  going to that,  _my lord_  Dragul, I wanted to put all of you in context to go straight to the  _main dish_." He opened the second folio, where he took out a couple of photographs, this one showing a fox and a cow with the same black spots and brutal wounds... But there was something else: Mickey's boring eyes widened when he saw the bare shoulder of the cow a couple of wounds that were distributed next to one another as if made with a awl, looking  _exactly_  like a bite of... "This cow was found almost two days after the finding of Bre'r Bear's body and it makes me happy that you also noticed those wounds, my dear friend... They look like a vampire's bite, right?"

"That is  _impossible_ , there are no reports of vampire attacks in the United Kingdom in recent years; if there were, I would have heard from hunters of my own level of experience residing in the country," Oswald mumbled with simultaneous rage and astonishment, snatching the cow's picture from Mickey and looking at it closely, the wounds really looked like a product of a vampiric attack. That, added to the mysterious black spot of the victims and the huge bright-eyed thing that Mina had seen in the sea... Would it be a new type of vampire  _never_  seen before?

"... _Even_  the best hunter doesn't  _always_  get the prey, and you know it, Van Helsing." Basil replied gravely, receiving a strong nod from his assistant. "And  _unfortunately_ , it's not all: We have reports of completely hysterical witnesses who have come to the police stations saying that they have seen strange creatures through the dark alleys..." He handed him a declared statement from the Whitechapel station, "read it and tell me what you think."

The rabbit frowned as he read the signed statement: It corresponded to a maid who had described in a terrified way a  ** _"short creature, who looked like a dwarf"_**  who had seen while returning to the house of her employers at nightfall in the middle of a dark alley. According to the description and what she was able to capture before running away, it was  ** _"completely black, black as ink",_** which suddenly ran in the opposite direction before the presence of lights at an  ** _"extraordinary speed"_**  and when she saw it, it had made a  ** _"strange shriek, like a monstrous bird"_**. In short, it was something never seen, it was something that...

 _"... **'didn't seem of this world'** "_ Oswald read it in a low voice in the last sentence of the statement. Then he looked at the robot portrait made by the police: A short figure, almost an elf, completely black and stooped...  _Something_  that, in his long career as a hunter and expert in the supernatural, he had  _never_  seen before. He looked at Basil and frowned. "...I'd have to do more research to be sure, but it's not something I've heard before."

"Are you serious?!" Mickey said looking at him perplexed. Then he looked at the detective. "So... you want us to investigate this case, is that it?"

"I am forced to that,  _my lord_. I beg of you; the police don't know what else to do. I have sleepless nights trying to find a connection that can solve the mystery... but this, as I mentioned, is something that seems  _more_  related to the world of the opposite... the dark world, a world from which both of you are related in various ways, gentlemen. Look at the other folios: There are reports of attacks in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, if this is not stopped soon, it can spread like the Black Death in its time, and it would reach your homes in the continent… Do you want that?"

**…**

Mickey sighed, leaning his palms against the doorframe, reflecting on Basil's last words that ended the first meeting and outlined the rules of the game that they would have to follow, whether they wanted to or not. Certainly  _not_ , he  _didn't_  want to do this: If it were up to him, he would take Mina and they would leave England in secret to whatever fate might be pleasing to them. Oh, how much he would have  _wanted_  something like that! A misty place, not very sunny, with beautiful landscapes that will delight the eyes of his beloved wife to make it even more unforgettable. A romantic getaway, like the one that Oswald had told him he planned to do... Yes, that undoubtedly sounded so, so  _tempting_. In fact, it was even too simple: Vanish like puffs of smoke and go to happy romp in some remote place as if the next day the apocalypse was unleashed... But he also knew that, even though she also  _wanted_  to be alone with him and enjoy the joys of their unholy union, Mina would never forgive him:  _"Leave our friends in this mess? No way, we are in this together as we were a year ago when all this began, Mickey. And I won't leave them alone in this problem, so don't count on me if you plan to get away."._  Yes, that she would surely tell him with a spark of anger in her haggard eyes... and he would end up obeying her. Oh, damn it, that female neophyte mouse really had completely subjugated him.

With another sigh, but this time an amused one, he turned to contemplate what was in front of him: A guest room of modest furniture, with the windows wide open to avoid the cold currents of air at that time of year. A pair of oil lamps dimly illuminated the sparse wooden furniture and dressing table accessories, especially the narrow, medieval-style canopy bed, where, all around the center, curled up and surrounded by cushions, was his  _greatest_  treasure in his entire immortal life.

"Mina... Minnie, are you awake?" He asked in a whisper, striding up to the head of the bed where he then slid his fingers down the long, smooth dark hair of his wife, receiving a soft growl from her... "Hehe, don't fool me, you're pretending to sleep because you're still mad at me, right?" Still not an answer from her. "Oh, is that so? Very good, you  _wanted_  it."

And then, without making the slightest noise, he pushed her long hair back to reveal Mina's long, fragile neck, where still were, still clearly, the marks of his teeth, which had condemned her forever to the same damned immortal existence of his. Sometimes, Mickey couldn't help thinking that maybe (just  _maybe_ ), it shouldn't have been like that, that it had been so unfair to destroy the female mouse's fresh and innocent mortality, precisely what made him fallen in love so deeply and  _insanely_  of her... But he knew that nothing was worth regretting, destiny had wanted it, and he himself knew that if he could go back in time, he wouldn't change  _anything_  at all. As if he was reading sculpted braille from her beautiful fur, the vampire's fingers slid up and down the outline of her throat, delighting to see that, no matter how upset she was, she couldn't stop shuddering at his touch. Soon he dared more, playing with the edge of her nightgown, discovering one of her clavicles, dying to sink his teeth with all his strength... Although instead, he leaned over and slid his tongue to long until finally crushing his mouth against this, causing a choked cry from her:  _"Mi... Mickey!"_  Oh, that tone with which she had sighed his name was soon to make his blood  _boil_  of pleasure.

She leaned against one of her lovely little round ears and caressed it playfully. "The bed of Mina of angels is surrounded; Mina, Mina, you will be my beloved garment" (2) he crooned in a low voice, laughing silently to see her trembling before his breath so close to her ear... And more when he bit her earlobe, making her gasp. "I beg your forgiveness, my love, for having acted like that in the meeting. It's just that... this wasn't the honeymoon that I had wanted for you."

"…"

"I  _don't_  intend to flee to this challenge that fate has imposed on us, my dear. I am aware of Basil's words: I think of the safety of our friends as in yours and, above all, of our kingdom," he continued muttering, rubbing his face against her hair, "so I'll stay to help, so, the more soon finish, we can be free to enjoy our time together."

"...You  _really_  mean it, Mickey?"

"I give you my word with the same assurance that my love for you is eternal, my love," Mickey said emphatically, this time beginning to place soft kisses on the skin of her face, making her laugh softly. Finally, he managed to see the scarlet irises surrounded by blue circles that he loved so much, emerging from under the white cover with which she had covered herself to avoid making eye contact. Mina made a tired smile.

"I believe you and I will always believe you. Also, we are not alone. We are all in the same boat and we will arrive at port in the same way. I will support you."

"Have I  _ever_  doubted that?" He joked with a seductive smile that made the usual snowy cheeks of his young wife flush and then she give him a sweet smile, no doubt, absolute proof of her forgiveness and, as an extra gift, full permission to get close of her, which he gladly took advantage of: It was a matter of moving a few inches and take full possession of her mouth, snatching her breath while putting his hands on her cheeks, deepening the kiss. He felt Mina shudder even more at his touch, letting out muffled moans against his lips, opening her mouth wider to receive his tongue anxiously tangle against her as a pair of eels. "Oh, it seems she wants more," he thought mischievously as he felt her hands cling to his white shirt, as if trying to lean on him... or  _rather_  take it off. And of course, he happily assumed the second option, getting rid of it to feel the soft fingers of Mina traverse the warm fur of his chest. There was no doubt that, if they continued like this, they would end up giving free rein to their passions and, frankly, he needed it  _urgently_ : The heat of Mina's body, her hands, her kisses, everything was so intoxicating, like morphine or alcohol, all that made him fall, yearning for more, wanting more... And he had just slipped his claws under her nightgown, looking to feel her thighs...

"Mickey... Mickey... Do you  _hear_  that?"

"Oh, Minnie, I hear the sound of your breathing, it feels so good, you sound like...  _Screams_?"

The pair of vampires interrupted their session of cuddles and sharpened their ears: Indeed, they were listening to screams from outside the window. Both jumped out of bed and ran to the window, opening it completely: Outside, everything was so dark it was hard to see around... Of course, they could clearly hear a terrified echo:  _"Murder, murder!"._  The vampire mouse reacted  _immediately_ : "Minnie, stay here!" Mickey yelled over his shoulder as he ran to the door, reaching the hall. He skidded almost reaching the door on the far right, where he knew that Oswald and Ortensia were staying. Without waiting to knock on the door, he simply pushed the knob with all his strength, breaking the latch and in the process, opening the door wide, startling the couple who moments before seemed to sleep peacefully curled up. "Ozzie, do you hear that?! Someone has been killed!"

"Did you hear it, too?" Mickey turned around when he saw Basil suddenly enter the room with Dr. Dawson, with his eyes bulging and finishing tying his red dressing gown over his white nightgown. "It comes from outside! Quick, we can keep track of it!" And without waiting any longer, they shot down the stairs. Mickey turned around again, watching Oswald quickly pull his Carabine out from under his pillow and grab his black gabardine. Ortensia, beside him, had also left the bed, taking her shawl on the run. Without saying a word, the three threw themselves to the stairs, reaching the front door, where undoubtedly, chaos had begun to form: Several houses had turned on the lights and even a couple of heads peered out the windows, asking themselves loudly what the hell was happened. Mickey sharpened his vampiric sense, noting that the echo was emerging from a few streets away from them.

"It's over there, follow me!" And they all ran in the direction of some alleyways to the right, lined with abandoned brick houses and a couple of factories. The echo of  _"murder, murder!"_  was now sounding louder and louder, until finally they stopped abruptly to a cul-de-sac full of trash cans and containers, with all with their senses on full alert, waiting for anything to appear... Until the thin figure of a small fox emerged from a corner and collided against Oswald from the back, almost making him fall on his back, which the rabbit avoided by holding him tightly by the arm.

"Hey, calm down! What happened?!"

"There... There... A terrible thing appeared out of nowhere and attacked my friend and me while we were sleeping! A completely black thin-thing that screamed horrible, looked like a kind of demon! And... and now... now...!"

"Where the creature attacked you?" Basil asked earnestly. The fox pointed with a trembling finger to a dark alley between two houses. Oswald and Mickey looked at each other at the same time and nodded. Leaving the fox whimpering in the hands of Ortensia and Dawson, they stepped forward accompanied by Basil, who had taken a lighter from his pocket and lit it, trying to illuminate the apparent crime scene, albeit poorly. They took a few more steps, prepared for an imminent attack... Until the faint light of the flame illuminated a body of a young rabbit, leaning against the dirty brick wall, completely _opened_ in a large cut along his body as if a train would have run over him, or more rather, he would have been passed under a blade of a wooden sawmill until he was almost cut in two. Basil gasped at this so violent death while Oswald, horrified, looked away from such horrendous _pandemonium_ of flesh and blood... And it was precisely by doing that he noticed that, along the wall and surrounding the body like a malignant halo, a black and viscous liquid, with a penetrating smell, was sliding down the wall with astonishing slowness to the ground.

  
"Check the whole place, maybe the creature could still hide here!" Oswald cried away from the corpse and back to the entrance of the cul-de-sac. There, everything was still and silent as a grave, only broken by the sobs of the little fox, shaking against Ortensia's skirts. Moments later, a group of police dogs in blue uniforms and armed with clubs came to where they were. He felt an exhalation that could  _only_  mean one thing: Mickey had vanished before they could see him.

"Detective Basil, we arrived as soon as we could! Is it true that there was a murder? Could you catch the killer?"

The expression on Basil's face was livid and white as wax. There was no doubt that the corpse's image would chase him for countless nights until the mystery was closed. "I'm afraid, gentlemen, this is  _just_  the beginning. Begin the lifting of the body, as soon as possible. I must...  _think_."

Oswald and Ortensia looked at each other, knowing that, high on the rooftops of that sordid and abandoned spot, Mickey would be watching the rest of the scene and, definitely, thinking the  _same_ thing as them: Basil's words at the meeting resonated like a iron bell, echoing in their minds _. "... it could spread like the Black Death in its time, and it would reach their homes in the continent ..."_ Would that reach Romania and the Netherlands?

They  _couldn't_  allow that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glosary: 
> 
> (1) Daguerreotype: Type of photograph or image in old positive that was obtained from a copper plate covered with silver iodide, beginning to be used since 1839.
> 
> (2) Adaptations of fragments of the novel "Memories of my Melancholy Whores" by Gabriel García Marquez.


	5. Hidden Depths

The yellow light of the sun filtered through the curtains, giving some color to the pale faces of those present, who anyone who is not an expert hunter could have mistaken by vampires because of the marked dark circles in the eyes of all. The early morning had surprised them in the room, barely illuminated by the burned remains of the fireplace, mired in a kind of lethargy or completely absorbed in something. Basil was already marking a ditch in the carpet due to his incessant travel from one side to another, with an almost maniacal thoughtful expression; Oswald had his nose stuck in an old black leather book looking for something that might be remotely similar to the latest attacks. Mickey had retired to sleep next to Mina minutes before of the first light of dawn, after having spent the rest of the night inspecting the area where the corpse was found, to then returning and announcing with disappointment that he hadn't been able to see or even feel anything, as if what had provoked such horrendous act against a living being would have vanished as if it had  _never_  existed.

Both Oswald and Basil looked at the door that led to the mouse detective's personal laboratory. Both were waiting for a possible clue.

After the arrival of the policemen, they had brought the corpse of the little rabbit to the nearest station along to his fox friend, who had barely been able to say a word due to the commotion, so after extracting out what little they could get out of him, they had sent him to a shelter.

According to his trembling and plaintive statement, they were huddled in the same alley when both were awakened by a terrible cold that seemed to come from the same place, until a black shadow, who moved too fast to be able to distinguish something from it, had thrown itself over them with a low and strange grunt. The fox had managed to escape to the entrance of the cul-de-sac and had believed that his friend had done the same... until the terrible screams of rabbit, with sounds of limbs breaking and flesh being teared, had reached his ears. When he returned, he had already seen the  _dispossession_  that his friend had been reduced.

Yes,  _'dispossession'_  was the most accurate word to describe that. Just imagining those seconds that were the duration of the attack according to the statement was enough to want you to shoot yourself on the head.

In that, the sliding door that opened onto the laboratory had opened and behind it the faces of Ortensia and Dawson emerged, as haggard and exhausted as their own. Basil interrupted his walk and Oswald got up from the cushion, both approaching their respective partners, riddling them with questions with their eyes. After exchanging a glance between them, Ortensia spoke:

"We did everything we could: After verifying with contrasting vegetable dyes that I have in my botanical bag and see under the microscope and using Mr. Basil's instruments, the answer is  _unanimous_..." she stared into her husband's eyes "...It's  _ink_."

"Ink?!" The mouse and the rabbit replied in unison.

"A strangely  _thick_  and  _viscous_  type of ink, the kind of ink that would be disastrous for writing or drawing, but  _it's_  ink at the end of the day," Dawson explained. "Despite its pungent odor, it doesn't cause damage to the fur, so that liquid is  _not_  what is causing the victims' injuries."

"We've the theory that the ink is the  _signature_ , a sort of letter of introduction of the murderer as a way to make the victims stand out from the known and typical scenes of murder... because in order to make those wounds at the speed that the little fox had said that lasted the attack, it's something  _else_. "

"I understand: that type of ink would be something  _implausible_  to be manufactured, so it can be a creature that  _exudes_  that strange type of ink because of the characteristics that it presents, and also have  _something_  that use as a weapon to tear and rip…" Basil reflected scratching his chin and then looked at Oswald with an hopeful air, but the hunter shook his head helplessly.

"I'm  _still_  looking for the monster, demon or creature reference that  _remotely_  resembles what we are looking for, but I still cannot find it" the black rabbit said with annoyance, grabbing the old book and looking at it with a frown. "However, I will keep looking, at some point it  _has_  to appear."

"Understood, in that case it's better to rest a bit to recover strength and in my case, give my brain a break" Basil said, looking at his partner and then at the couple "Are you going to tell the Draguls about the discovery, Van Helsing?"

"As soon as they wake up hungry or the day darkens, whatever happens first," Oswald said, taking his wife's hand to lead her to the second floor. "At least there's something  _sure_  about all this, Basil."

"Indeed, my friend" Basil replied looking at his fingers " _Whoever_  is doing this, is  _not_  a  _person_."

* * *

"Oswald, Ortensia, Basil sends this to you, you have not left the room since noon," Mina said opening the door and leaving the tray with two cups of tea and biscuits on the nearest table, already full of books and instruments .

The female vampire mouse stood up after hear the soft  _"thank you"_  from the couple before going back to immerse themselves in what they were doing: Oswald was sitting on the bed, in the middle of a pile of books next to him, constantly taking one of the books, passing the pages quickly while looking alternately between the illustrations of monsters something that could match with the drawing of the strange black creature that he had at his side, to finally throwing it into another pile of discarded books; Ortensia was sat at the desk that overlooked the window, also flipping through one book after another while studying the strange black substance that had been found next to all the corpses. There was no doubt that they looked very focused and without any desire to be interrupted, so Mina silently retreated back to her room.

Being alone in the middle of the dark hall, she couldn't help thinking how the situation had escalated due to the current circumstances: The whole city had wake up terrified at the news of the brutal murder and the collective pressure was starting to be felt towards the police (And therefore to Basil) to solve the mystery as soon as possible. No doubt that pressure was felt not only with Basil and Dawson as in Oswald and Ortensia, but also with her beloved Mickey... Her beloved husband had returned after leaving her alone and telling her with sadness that he hadn't found anything, but that he would try to next night. When she had asked him if he wanted her to accompany him on his patrol, he had taken her hands with affection, kissing them.

_"It's not going to be necessary, my love, it's better that you rest and leave this to me, I don't want anything to happen to you."_

She couldn't help but snort as she remembered that. Yes, that had moved her a lot, reaffirming the deep love she had for the vampire mouse, but... There was also a feeling of impatience: She wasn't a poor mortal, for all the devils! She was a vampire, with all her senses improved and perhaps with a power as great as some of her husband's already had! How was it possible that Ortensia, who was mortal, could embark on all kinds of dangerous adventures next to her husband and she, a more powerful and practically immortal being, should stay in her room to be safe and just provide them a tray of tea and biscuits? She could be more useful than that! She could help them, she could...!

...Oh, right. That damn  _red frenzy._

Mickey had already explained to her what that was: A normal state of  _neophytes_  like her. During that moment she would become a  _literal_  and almost unstoppable  _killing_  machine, practically  _unrecognizable_. During that moment her trial would be clouded by a kind of red fog and would cost her to distinguish who was friend or foe of those who would have in front on her... During that moment she was dangerous.  _Potentially_  dangerous for those she loved or esteemed.

Mina bit her lower lip; She would be lying if she said that she was in perfect control of herself while she was under that state, when the truth is, she would be in the  _same_  level  _of control_  as someone under a heavy dose of cocaine or opium... But she would also be lying if she could say that wasn't feeling incredible, intoxicating and very pleasant the exact moment she was letting herself go... In order to  _satiate_  all her instincts, her most primitive impulses until the end...

"Minnie, are you okay?"

"Ah!" The female vampire mouse had jumped at that voice, which she had felt so far away, even when it came in fact a couple of steps away. "Hi Mickey, I think... I was just thinking" she murmured as she felt Mickey's claw lean against her cheek, caressing it.

"Do you feel good, honey?" I see you more pale than usual, I know! We're going for some blood candy, Basil told me that he managed to make a kind of bloody lollipop using liquid nitrogen, maybe that will cheer you up a bit. "

"Just staying with me you always cheer me up, Mickey," Mina muttered giving him a soft smile, managing to melt the Count's motionless heart as always. He laughed softly and took her hand to lead her down the stairs. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, while enjoying the bloody lollipops, Mina could not stop thinking about that.

* * *

Oswald closed the last book in the pile of books that he had been scrutinizing, letting out a tired sigh. Nothing, still nothing. He had found black creatures with wild characteristics, but none matched the description of the little fox and the robot portrait from the police station.

_"It could have been a Hellhound (1), due to its voracious nature and its ability to be invisible... but the portrait and the description seem to point more to a bipedal creature, not a quadruped one. Perhaps is an Eachy (2), because it walks on two legs and exudes a substance... No, no: the Eachy produces a greenish slime, not black ink. What kind of creature exudes ink? Think, Oswald, think... "_

As much as he thought of some kind of creature in his long bestiary list, he still didn't find one that could be minimally like whatever they were looking for. He already began to feel the feeling of tiredness in his eyes... But he knew he couldn't give up, because that would be undoubtedly a big blow to his pride: Until now, throughout his career as a hunter he had been able to detect and identify almost immediately the type of creature that he had to face and destroy... However, this was like to fight against a ghost: They had no clues, they had nothing to start with... Only loose details that looked like disparate pieces of a huge puzzle... It wasn't a very pleasant panorama.

A small noise brought him out of his lethargy: Ortensia had reclined on one of the open books on the desk, apparently trying to rest for a moment. A wave of affection and gratitude gripped the black rabbit as he watched her breathe slowly with her eyes closed, no doubt due to fatigue; He couldn't help feeling admiration for his diligent spouse, who, even after spending the rest of the previous night investigating the origin of the substance, had stayed with him and helped him in his own investigation... Still smiling, Oswald got up silently from the bed and approached her, to then cover the female cat with his own black long coat and caress her behind her ears, a gesture that always drew soft purrs from his wife and always amuses him.  _"Ozzie..."_  he heard her murmur softly.

"You better rest, my dear. You've done enough for me and the others," Oswald murmured in turn, leaning more to place soft kisses on her cheek, making her shudder and laugh. "We should better save forces for the next assault, since it won't be easy."

"I was thinking…"

"What?"

"That maybe... Since is apparently a new type of creature... it would be best to give it a name to make it easier to identify. You know, something to start with."

"Yes, I was also thinking of doing something like that" Oswald conceded amusedly, despite the tiredness, "Did you come up with a name?"

"Humm ..." Ortensia opened her eyes, huddling herself more tightly in his long coat "You're going to laugh."

"I swear I won't, my love. Word of a gentleman," the hunter rabbit said quickly, raising a hand in a vow. "Go ahead, tell me... Or  _I'll_  have to do that by  _tickling_  you..." he added in a whisper against her ear, making her shudder again.

"It's okay, it's okay!" She laughed softly. Sitting up and taking out a piece of paper, holding it out to her husband. Oswald took it and looked at it carefully: It was the same robot portrait of the creature, only this time, at the top, he could see a name:

**_"Blotling"_ **

**…**

During the dinner it had been decided that night a patrol would be made in the surrounding areas of the murder to be able to spot something and, if possible, avoid another possible death by some  _Blotling_ , as they had all accepted that as the most appropriate nickname for the mysterious creature, at least for now. Mickey would do it from the air and through the most impoverished and remote areas while Oswald would cross the metropolitan area with one of the mules that a neighbor of Basil had lent them, with Basil accompanying him. Meanwhile, Ortensia and Dawson would stay to continue analyzing the ink sample to see if they could unearth some other hidden thing that could give them a clue to the creature. And as for Mina ... She had agreed to stay to make sure that nothing bad could happen to Ortensia and Dawson, but she already had other plans:

_"I will prove that I can be useful, I will go to patrol when everyone has retired."_

There were a few minutes left before the long night of search and investigation finally began. Mina and Ortensia said goodbye to their mates in their special way: Ortensia had made the sign of the cross on Oswald's forehead before squeezing his hands and kissing him with passion... Instead, Mina had gone directly to the part of the kisses, something that the Count Dragul received gladly. Basil, already fully dressed in his iconic detective suit, was looking compulsively at the window while examining with interest the weapon that Oswald had lent him in case he had to defend himself.

"Well, this is the plan: According to a member of Scotland Yard who came to tell me, a curfew has been established for the majority of the population since ten o'clock at night, with the exception of the police and us, since I asked for a special permit. With Mickey it won't be necessary, since his mission is, alongside to track the place, to go as unnoticed as possible. In the case to find a sighting of a "Blotling" or something out of the ordinary, we will use these silver whistles that a friend had the courtesy to lend me in. I imagine that vampires have a very fine ear, so there won't be any problem if he's very far from us.

"Of course," Mickey said enthusiastically. Oswald just nodded.

"Perfect, let's go then, watch your back and remember: Let's go back here at sunrise. Mrs. Van Helsing and Dawson, don't leave any details on the outside, look beyond the evident."

"We'll do it!" the female cat and the mouse replied in unison.

"It's the signal! Let's get out now!" Basil announced when they heard the chimes of a church in the distance that coincided with the cuckoo clock of Basil, which indicated ten o'clock at night. They all went out into the garden, noting that all the surrounding houses were closed, and the lights were off. Mickey vanished amidst a cloud of bats until he lost himself beyond the needle-shaped roofs of a church; Immediately, Oswald and Basil got lost in the middle of a noise of hoofs towards to the main square. Finally, Ortensia and Dawson, with leather aprons on, locked themselves in the experiment room, leaving Mina alone,  _just_  as she  _wanted_.

The female vampire mouse silently climbed the stairs to her room. Closing the door carefully, she approached the window, opening it wide, with a cold current of air ruffled her long hair, as if it was inviting her to leave and fly... And she did that: She climbed on the sill, closed the eyes and jumped... To then feel that her body rose gently upwards, thanks to the pair of leathery wings that had emerged from her back. The cold air of the night was sharp, but she didn't care, for the feeling was so pleasant that she didn't want to change it for anything else.

Then she remembered about why she had leave: Sure, she had come to patrol, not to go for a walk! She mentally scolded herself for that and began to scan in different areas of the city center, waiting for some sign of the creature, the " _Blotling_ " ( _"Ingenious pun, Van Helsings"_  she thought with a giggle), until she sat down on the highest part of an adjoining belfry. From there she had a perfect view of the city and many of its streets, so it would be perfect to monitor without attracting attention. He opened her ears to the fullest, waiting, waiting...

...Almost two hours had passed.

Mina was already bored. She felt that not two hours had passed but almost eight hours in all that time from her hiding place... She thought that perhaps fluttering over some of those dark alleys that were quite far away from there would be a good place to start. She flew to one of those streets, waiting for something, whatever... And she got something.

"Aaaaaaahhh!"

 _"An attack?!"_  Mina thought alarmed, trying to approach the source of the sound, seeing that it came from a narrow alley on her right. She went there, hoping that the unfortunate victim hadn't died yet to be able to save him... Then, a blast put her on full alert, looking everywhere, completed freaked out...  _until_  a bullet  _passed_  very close to her left ear, causing her to back off with terror.

"Don't move!"

 _"Holy Heaven, it's Oswald!_   _He must believe that I'm the creature!_ " she said to herself terrified, and understood that, if she didn't want to end up dead, she should reveal her identity: "Oswald, it's me, Mina! There's someone hurt in that alley!"

A puzzled and bewildered voice reached her ears: "Mina,  _what_  the hell are you doing  _here_?"

"Eh, well I..."

"You  _weren't_  supposed to stay and to keep an eye on the others?" Oswald's voice sounded louder as he approached to her and of course, more and more angry; And indeed, his face emerged in the darkness with a hardened expression, still holding his gun: " _Where_  are Ortensia and Dawson? How  _did_  you leave them alone with the creature still free?!"

"I thought that... I could be useful to all you since I'm a vampire like my Mickey, and, in fact, I heard a scream at the entrance of this alley... Let's go now Oswald, maybe there's a victim here!"

"It would be better if we call the Count to come immediately here," Basil said gravely as he took the silver whistle and blew with all his might, echoing throughout the area. "Let's go  _slowly_ , quietly... Mrs. Dragul, go after Mr. Van Helsing, okay?"

"Yes, yes, okay," Mina murmured, still noticing the unfriendly disapproval expression of the black rabbit towards her, making her feel guilty: "I hope nothing bad had happened with Ortensia and Dawson, otherwise I would deserve a shot in my ear" She thought bitterly as they approached to that dark spot, barely illuminated by Basil's lamp.

The closed environment was undoubtedly a strong disadvantage in case someone will attack from behind, so Mina decided to cast glances backwards and activating her vampire senses as much as she could... A moan deconcentrated her, having watched her immediately ahead. There, the three remained stone before the figure that had ahead, who breathed in an irregular manner.

"It  _cannot_  be..." Mina muttered.

"... _But_  he is..." Oswald muttered as well.

"Mortimer Mouse!"

And indeed, it was him. Scattered over a dozen boxes and garbage bags, there was an elongated mouse with a long, prominent nose, whose obviously elegant clothes now looked wrinkled and dirty, full of dust stains, food stains and... Ink. Black ink. Large black ink stains.

"Mortimer Mouse... His name sounds familiar to me," Basil muttered, approaching the mouse and taking his pulse. "He's alive, but he's passed out. Do you know him from somewhere?" He asked them to bring the lantern to their faces to see them better: Mina had an expression of apprehension. And Oswald (more disconcerting still) of deep contempt... And both were staring at the unconsciously mouse fixedly. "Well... I'll take that as a yes." In that, they heard an exhalation and a noise of wings that could only belong to a vampire.

"I just found you guys, I thought something happened to you and I...! Mina! What are you doing here? What is happening?"

"It looks like we found a possible  _witness_... Or a  _suspect_ ," Oswald said, looking at Mortimer's faded body. "And it also  _seems_  that Mina wanted to do some  _extra_  work, right?" he added, looking at the female vampire mouse with his arms crossed and an arched eyebrow. Mina blushed and just looked at the ground, embarrassed. Basil cleared his throat.

"Well, it's no use arguing now: Mr. Van Helsing, please help me carry him to the mule, Mr. and Mrs. Dragul, go immediately to my house, and after he wakes up and recovers, we can start interrogate him."

Everyone nodded. Mickey took his wife's hand, willing to take the flight, but he didn't stop looking at the tall and slim mouse being carried by Oswald and Basil to the saddle with a mixture of curiosity and former dislike.

_"What would Mortimer do precisely here?"_

* * *

**To be continued.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> (1) Hellhound (infernal hound) is a large black dog from Hell. According to Norse mythology, they are companions of the dead, custodians of hidden treasures and guardians of the gates to the underworld. It is believed that anyone who sees his eyes three times will die. The Hellhound became widely known after being associated with the "Grim" of the Harry Potter saga.
> 
> (2) Eachy is a kind of water monster, originally from Scotland and northern England. It's described as a large and slug-like humanoid creature that occasionally emerges from lakes and water sources.


	6. Unpleasant Intermediate

Mina couldn't stop seeing with a grimace of consternation seeing Oswald and Basil enter the hall of the house, loading (or rather dragging) with difficulty the vanished body of Mortimer Mouse, to finally leave him on one of the seats, staying there as if he was a miserable sack of potatoes... In her eyes. Well, not only to her, but also to a few present as well, judging by the inquisitive gaze of her beloved Mickey and, even more, Oswald's palpable disgust as he stared at the fainted mouse.

Before the commotion of his unexpected arrival, Ortensia and Dawson had interrupted their investigations in the laboratory and had reunited with the others in the main living room, leaving the sample of ink to rest in a culture to see some type of reaction later. After a brief explanation of how they had found him, they now pondered how to wake him up so they could start questioning him.

It's useless, he doesn't react. It's as if he was hit on the head," Ortensia murmured, raising one of his eyelids, after shaking him lightly on the shoulder... Then, Oswald gently pushed her away, facing the rat.

"In that case, we need a more forceful reaction... Don't you think, gentlemen?" And before the astonished face of the English mice, the hunter rabbit began to slap on the flabby cheeks of Mortimer, to which Basil protested indignantly:

"Van Helsing! But what are you doing?!"

" _Isn't_ obvious? Trying to wake him up," Oswald replied as he slapped the rat's muzzle again with a force (to Basil's eyes) too excessive. "And believe me, I was dying to do this," he added in a low voice, enough for his wife to hear him, as well as the Draguls.

"Ozzie, although this is very fun to watch (certainly for me it is), we're wasting time," Mickey said stepping forward. "I suggest waking him up in a more hurried manner... Mr. Basil, do you  have something that makes a very loud noise, for example?"

"Unfortunately no, my lord. Before this case happen, Mr. Dawson and I were trying to create an alarm clock with a built-in teapot, but it still has... some _flaws_ in its design." At that, both Mickey and Oswald couldn't help but imagine with a discreet smile a jet of burning tea on Mortimer's face... or _even_ better, over the fly of his pants... "However, I think I have an idea that can serve us: Mrs. Van Helsing, would you be so kind to bring us that iron box that is in that cupboard?"

"Oh, of course," the female black cat replied and retreated to the cupboard of the room, where next to a series of leather books, an astrolabe and a porcelain figure representing the Queen of England there was an iron box from the size of a matchbox, tightly closed with a lid. She took it and handed it to the detective. "What is that, Mr. Basil?"

 

"Ah, this!" Basil said cheerfully, bringing the box under Mortimer's huge muzzle and beginning to unscrew the lid. "It's a little experiment that I'm preparing in my spare time... I suggest everyone cover their noses _NOW_." ...And a Once everyone had covered their noses, Basil opened the lid, placing it just below Mortimer's nose: A nauseating smell like rancid butter spread throughout the room, that made Mina ran to open the windows, in a desperate attempt to disperse the smell. Just when Oswald had just shouted _"What the hell is that?!"_ , Mortimer Mouse let out a bestial howl, taking a tremendous leap up.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

"...Butyric acid (1)" Basil finished with a satisfied smile, closing the iron box again.

After the smell had dissipated, everyone watched in amazement as Mortimer had gone from being completely unconscious to a whining rat that was gasping on the couch in an attempt to catch up his breath, babbling and cursing loudly:

 _What_ the bloody fuck is this?! _Where_ the hell am I?! _What_ was that infernal _stench_ on my face?! I demand an explanation, an apology and a large compensation for such treatment to a member of royalty as I am! How can you drag me into this disgusting hut and not leave me in my residence?! You _will_ see, you _don't_ know who you have gotten with, miserable villagers, I am...!"

"Mortimer Mouse, we _meet_ again after _so_ much time..." Mortimer stiffened at the hissing sound, causing him to interrupt his furious tirade. He sat up and turned slowly, terrified by that voice, _that_ familiar voice... The voice of the terrible Mickey Dragul.

"Y-you... You a-are..."

"Oh, you remind me! What memories!" Mickey exclaimed with satisfaction at Mortimer's stuttering. Then, he launched himself behind the chair, apparently looking for something in the lapel of his suit.

"Oh, you were looking for _this_?" Oswald inquired, drawing from his gabardine a long dagger and showing it to him. Mortimer paled. "How _strange_ that a character as refined as you are, have a thief dagger… if you need some kind of protection, you _would_ walk with an escort... And _not_ completely alone".

It took the mouse several seconds to regain the aplomb, then he flushed with indignation: "You're _nobody_ to rebuke me in that way, you're _just_ a scavenger..."

"In that case, you won't mind if I question you, because I _don't_ think you can refuse to a requirement from an official of the British Empire, _can't_ you?" Basil said, approaching Mortimer, looking at him with a hard expression, no _doubt_ because of the way the rat had _talked_ about his house. He gasped like a fish out of water. "Detective Basil, from Baker Street... What are you doing in the dark hours of this night? The governor had decreed a curfew because of the recent murders."

"Well... Well... I _had_ ignored what time it was when I finally retired from my important affairs this day, I was too committed to it that I ignored the clock."

"And what issues were so _important_ to ignore that it was three o'clock in the morning?" Basil asked incredulously. Mortimer cleared his throat, smoothing the collar of his jacket.

"Look, Detective: I _understand_ that your duty to the Crown is to investigate and solve crimes, but you are questioning me as if I am a vulgar defendant, _without_ any real order... I cannot deny this joke of questioning because of its importance, but I must tell you that my private affairs are _not_ your business."

"Certainly, they are when there are _lives_ at stake, my lord Mortimer," Basil said harshly, taking out one of the victim's daguerreotypes and stretching it to Mortimer's stunned face: "These victims were found with a strange black ink on their bodies.... Ink also _present_ in your clothes, could you explain that?”

I... I… And _so what_? I can tell you that I dedicate myself to writing as a hobby, which is not uncommon for someone as refined as I am," Mortimer replied with a slight mocking, condescending  tone: "I understand that you are _desperate_ to resolve this case and maintain your _reputation_ as a detective, Basil, but that would be a _very_ serious accusation and..."

"Yes, it would be serious, that's true... If it weren't a type of ink quite similar to the one that was found in the victims," Ortensia said suddenly, startling Mortimer. The female cat had been silent until then, feeling a bit of black ink between her fingers. "A more detailed study is needed, certainly, but _just_ by looking at the naked eye, the color is the same and the consistency is quite similar... So that would give something to suspect, don't you think, sir?"

Mortimer was silent for a few seconds... Then he composed a seductive smile, looking at the female black cat from top to bottom, eating her with his eyes: "It seems that your _delicious_ beauty is on par with your intelligence, kitty cat..." ...And two seconds, just after saying that, Mortimer cried out in pain, because Oswald van Helsing's hand had closed around his long nose with an iron grip.

"I remind you one _more_ time, Mortimer... That she _is_ my wife" Oswald whispered with a low tone and _charged_ of distilled hatred up to the marrow "...And unlike the previous time, your dear protector McDuck is _not_ here to prevent me to _break_ your nose once and for all."

"Oswald!"

Van Helsing had retired at the voice of his wife, leaving Mortimer almost to the edge of tears and trembling like a scared little sheep, a funny thing since he was taller than the black rabbit. He settled back in the armchair, looking with displeasure at Oswald, murmuring: " _Like_ every hunting dog, he lets himself be bossed by whoever guides him from the leash..."

" _My lord_ Mortimer let's not digress further, you can tell us what I was doing at that time of night or I will be forced to _take_ drastic measures..." Basil said impatiently. Mortimer laughed.

" _Drastic measures_ you say, and I can see that, my good Basil, that you've _even_ had to ally with scavengers and vampires to keep your record intact" Mortimer replied indolently, crossing his leg in the armchair and adjusting himself as if he was sat on a throne, "But I doubt you are so _desperate_ as to use torture, and if you intended to use your bat mascot in your favor, I fear that from the fiasco with the delicious and beautiful Mina, here present..." And he winked the eye to Mina, who cleared her throat in angriness "...I always carry protection against vampires with me... That would explain _why_ the _dreaded_ Mickey Dragul _hasn't_ come near me yet..."

Baffled, Basil turned back: Indeed, both Mickey and Mina were separated from the others, as if they wanted to avoid contact with the mouse. Mickey had an arm over Mina with protective air, still looking at Mortimer and grinding his teeth, like a furious beast trying to reach the prey behind some bars, unable to reach him. Mina just looked at him and couldn't stop thinking with horror: _"And to think that this was the man that my uncle Scrooge had chosen to get me married! Thank you, God, for having found my sweet Mickey ..."_ Then they heard a dry giggle.

"... If you really want to know, my good detective, I just made some preparations for a humble party that I will do in my home, obviously it's a high society party, so vulgar monsters and scavengers are logically _banned_ from entering... Although I could do certain _exceptions_ with respect to certain companions... "And he fixed his eyes on both Ortensia and Mina, even due to contained anger (and about to explode) of their husbands. "Does that seem like enough information, Basil? _Can_ I retire now?"

"...Yes and no, my lord". Seeing that Mortimer was going to reply, Basil continued: " _Yes_ , it's enough information to start, and _no_ , you cannot retire yet... The curfew ends at six in the morning, you must stay two hours more."

"Very well, I certainly respect the law given by the earthly authority, given by our lord..." Mortimer replied looking sideways at the Dragul, then getting up "However, I still deserve compensation for the treatment of my person... You!" He said pointing to Dawson, who shuddered at the sudden movement "Guide me to the best room in this house to rest a little... Oh, and I'd like some toast with some caviar."

"Caviar?" Basil and Dawson said puzzled at the same time. Mortimer looked at both of them in bewilderment.

"What, don't you have that? I see that your fees are not enough, my dear Basil... Well, toasts with butter would be fine, some simple food won't hurt me." And without saying goodbye to anyone, he disappeared up the stairs, leaving the rest of the people with different faces, from bewilderment to displeasure. After feeling the distant sound of a door, Basil let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.

"It will only be two hours, it will only be two hours and he will leave... I understood why you both had put _that_ face when we  found him..." he said and looked helplessly at Mina and Oswald. "I'll assume he was just as charming when you met him first time."

"Ah, as you have no idea, my dear Basil" Mina sighed wearily, "Now, if you allow us to retire to rest for a moment..."

"Actually, I wanted to talk about something related to this very night, Mrs. Dragul, if it doesn't bother you," Basil interrupted gravely, "Why did you leave your vigilance duty? The plan was for you to stay to watch for the safety of Mrs. Ortensia and Mr. Dawson. "

 _Oh, oh._ The moment of confrontation had arrived. Mina knew it, she knew that they weren't going to overlook her imprudence, (although in the end she would have given them a possible clue), and she would have to present her excuse. She looked embarrassed to Mickey, wishing the earth would swallow her. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

"I wanted to show that I can be useful to all you; like my husband, I am a vampire, with highly developed senses that can be useful for this investigation, I certainly want this case to be solved to avoid more deaths of innocents and not endanger our homes if this were to expand... I wanted to help, I want to help you, gentlemen... "

"...Knowing that _you’re_ currently a walking time-bomb, Mina" The female vampire mouse gasped, opening her eyes sharply when she heard Oswald's voice, and then looking at him: The black rabbit had a strange look, between annoying and clearly worried : "You cannot see it, but when you go crazy, you stop being you and you are a potential danger to others... And yes, I know that Mickey is taking care of you" he added aloud when he saw that Count Dragul had opened his mouth to protest "And that nobody can deny it... but Mina, it really is too high a risk... You _can_ bite an innocent, Basil, Dawson, or Ortensia... And I really don't want to shoot to kill to stop you, Mina. "

Mina's eyes crystallized with horror at those last words, and it was not precisely because of fear of Van Helsing's weapons, but because of the possibility of hurting innocent people. All the time after being converted, Mickey had taught her to live peaceful life, without resorting to violence unless it was against an attacker... But now, now... She lowered her head, embarrassed. Mickey hugged her with one arm immediately.

 

"Don't worry, my love, it will never happen, I promise." He murmured to her with affection. "Neither one nor the other, it's a matter of waiting for you to master your powers better, and as for that last thing Ozzie said... You _know_ I will make slippers with his fur before he can even raise his gun against you."

"I _heard_ that, asshole," Oswald replied, raising an eyebrow and then looking at the detective. "What are we going to do now, Basil? No matter how asshole and jerks he is, Mortimer Mouse is a duke... He can hinder the investigation by making the authorities fall on us like goblins on gold. Is there a way of knowing what he's doing without arouse suspicion?"

"Certainly, I thought to use... Precisely what he had said, because I understand that, according to legend, one of the powers of Lord Dragul is to control all kinds of creatures, or I mistake?" Basil asked softly to Mickey, who after a hesitation and look at his wife, finally nodded. "What happened?"

Mickey shook his head: "I _couldn't_ get close, detective, he had something, I don't know how to explain it to you, that repelled me to use some kind of control over him... It was like a..."

"Amulet?" Oswald said loudly. Seeing the strange face of Basil, he explained: "Vampires cannot stand being near sacred objects, and how many more blessed they are, the effect is stronger... Probably the damned Mortimer has a reliquary with the fragment of a saint or blessed by some high-ranking cleric, thus making him immune to the influence of a vampire."

"If your presumption is true, that gives us a complication that we must overcome in some way," Basil said quietly. "As Mrs. Van Helsing said, we have to do more research to be sure, but if that ink is similar to the one present at crime scenes, then that will make Mortimer a suspect until further notice." He sighed and looked at the clock standing: There was still an hour until it was six in the morning. "I propose that we keep an eye on Mortimer while we continue the night patrols, but it must be someone who can approach him without arousing suspicion..."

After a silence of several seconds, all turned to one person in the room, followed _immediately_ by the angry voice of Oswald:

"No way, _no_ fucking way!"

...

"Did you enjoy your short stay, my lord Mortimer?" Basil asked indolently when he saw Mortimer Mouse descending the stairs with an imposing air, as if he were coming down the stairs of a castle to go to a royal dance. And the clock was pointing 10 o'clock in the morning and not 6 o'clock.

 

"In spite of the unworthy treatment of my person, I slept like a log, my dear Basil, I hope with all my heart that your investigation ended successfully and could catch the culprit of these lamentable deaths." If there is no other absurd reason to keep me, I leave. "

He nodded to Detective Basil and went out the door, heading down the main street, toward some unknown destination. The pale London sun, the birds singing in the distance, the smell of freshly baked bread from some shops, all that was a welcome greeting after having such a bad time with such discreditable company... He closed his eyes, trying to forget the terrible vision of Count Dragul, although trying to remember the beautiful vision of his wife... That she could have been his. _"Ah, Mina, you could have been mine, the riches of your delicious body and face barely reach the fabulous riches of your uncle that correspond to you by right... And you hooked up with a monster..."_

"Mr. Mouse!"

The mentioned one turned to the female voice, at first puzzled, then compose a smile of pleasure: It was Ortensia van Helsing, who was quickly approaching where he was, with the wind shaking the skirts of her dress. She came up to him, breathing agitatedly and her cheeks flushed. Without forgetting the violent gesture that her husband had made, he composed a stern expression: "Good morning, Madame, why are you in a hurry?"

"Oh, I have to do some shopping and I don't know the way to the market, the truth is that I've never been to England and I do not know anything ..." Ortensia said without stopping smiling, "I thought you, you seem to be very familiar with the place, _could_ help me."

"Have you never been to England? I'm surprised to hear that from you, knowing the... questionable work of your husband," Mortimer said as he guided her through some streets leading to the main square. "Aren't you supposed to travel often?"

 

"Oh well, is that we have never toured the entire United Kingdom in its entirety, except for some parts, so excuse my ignorance about it; I know what Big Ben is, and that's saying a lot!" She exclaimed, laughing harshly, laughing out loud in her mind knowing that she knew London very well, thanks to her stay to complete her studies in her teens and thanks to several trips both work and pleasure with Oswald in the adulthood. It wasn't easy, certainly, to fake in order to obtain information and, even more, to spend time alone with such a jerk like Mortimer Mouse: "Think of the victims, think of those little turtles... Thanks to this, something like this won't happen again..." She thought to give strength to herself. As he passed by a long-cobbled road and occupied by several stalls of meat, fruit and cloth, she looked at him again. "Mr. Mouse?"

 

"Oh, please, tell me Mortimer, _mademoiselle_ Ortensia," the mouse muttered with a sardonic smile. The female cat had to try to not to raise her eyebrows: She had caught the sudden change of treatment towards her person _("Oh, apparently I'm no longer a madame... He doesn't even know how to hide what he wants from me!"_ ). "What do you think? If you want, I can help you with your purchases."

"Oh, aren't you busy? It's just that I thought that... excuse me, that knowing how important you are, you would like to return to your affairs immediately. I-I don't want to bother you, m-more than my friends and husband did!"

"Oh, a worthy example of deference to me, and coming from such a sweet creature like you, _much_ _more_!" He exclaimed pleasantly, taking Ortensia's free hand and kissing her in an exaggeratedly noisy way. Ortensia restrained herself from two sudden desires to explode with laughter in his face or to scratch him with her claws, preferably the latter option. "In that case, I will be forced to _insist_ on escorting you, and, taking into account the dangerous times we are running, I _won't_ accept a _no_ for response," Mortimer added, suddenly pulling her arm, causing her to grab his arm to avoid wobble and fall. "Speaking of escort dogs, where is your husband... Ehh... Os... Osmund?

"Oswald. And no, he couldn't accompany me. He went to... a mission."

"Well, very irresponsible on his part to have left you alone, _my lady_ " Mortimer exclaimed in a categorically dramatic way. "It's hard to believe that a woman of your _class_ and _category_ is married to _such_ a man like him. If you allow me to say, my lady, it's tremendous waste... "

 _"Waste will be your face when I smash it with my heel"_ a long-eared figure growled while was hidden behind a few barrels of wine, a couple of meters behind them. In effect, Oswald was on a mission: To prevent his wife from exposing herself too much to Mortimer's tricks. He managed to follow them thanks to augmented binoculars, courtesy of his old friend Felix as payment for his old services provided when they were children, and thanks to that, he could understand what they were saying just by reading his lips (Although with Mortimer it wasn't so necessary, just by looking at his ridiculous playboy pantomime was more than obvious to know what his intentions were). He had to admit that he was impressed by Ortensia and her strategy: The hesitation, the tender feminine awkwardness, the prudent flattery, all in the right dose... And it seemed that Mortimer was taking the bait, and he seemed delighted to do so. " _Tonight, not only the purchased catnip will make her happy in the room"_ the rabbit thought laughing with satisfaction. Suddenly, a comment made him fall from the clouds and _put_ him on maximum alert:

"By the way, Mr. Mortimer, will you do something about it to clean up that ink stain on your suit?"

 

"Of course, _mademoiselle_ Ortensia. My hurry to get out of the shack... I mean, the humble abode of Detective Basil was for apart from cleaning up this dirt stain that I caught when leaving my home. And to prepare my party... Hehe, I've caught you, beautiful kitty cat! Your face of astonishment says it all. Did you think I was lying? There will be a party, _my darling_! You will be surprised! It _won't_ be like _anything_ that you've seen before!" Mortimer said enthusiastically... _Too_ much, in fact.

"I imagine that it will be a wonderful party," Ortensia conceded, lowering her eyelids and smoothing the folds of her dress, avoiding looking at him. "And who will go? I imagine that distinguished members of the nobility, I suppose."

"You suppose well, _my darling_. _("Stop saying to her 'my darling', you're making me puke with your cheap gentility..."_ Oswald growled from the shadows, burning with jealousy despite the falsehood of everything) And as some poor peasants usually say: 'Where only one can eat, ten can do that too'... Nor did I lie about my exception of inviting certain people, sweet Ortensia," he added in an audible purr, bending down to whisper close to the cat's ear, making her shudder of surprise... And grinding the teeth to a certain vampire hunter of rage. "What do you say, missy kitty?"

"What…? What do I tell you?" the female cat stuttered with a slight blush. Mortimer smiled with malign sweetness.

"What if you can to go to my little private evening. I could also invite the sweet Mina, but... it wouldn't be right to have a vampire wandering alone through the streets of London, don't you think?" There, Ortensia trembled again, but this time with apprehension. "It would be better for you... _So_ , we would _only_ concentrate on _one_ _beauty_ in the room..." he added expectantly, waiting for the young woman to fall into his spider web.

"I... Well, I..."

"I understand, my lady, don't say more: Your husband acts as an obstacle to your absolute acceptance, alas, misfortune pursues us! Although... you could take advantage of those long absences of Osmund to spend some time with us, it would not be... a lot of time on your part. "

"I could... I could take advantage of that," the female black cat mused, offering her hand for him to kiss, holding back the urge to vomit. "It could be fun."

"It will certainly be for you, my sweet kitten... So, will I have the pleasure of seeing you at my party?"

"... _Perhaps_ you will see me gliding through the shadows there, my Lord Mortimer" said Ortensia in a quite convincing purr. "Until the next time."

" _Au revoir, mon chérie,"_ Mortimer whispered , bending down to try to kiss her... Something that Ortensia avoided by turning her head, causing the mouse to end up kissing the flowers of her hat, making him cough. Turning around, the female black cat moved away from there in hurried footsteps, fighting against the urge to vomit or cry.

She came to a lone alley that was hidden behind wooden boxes and barrels of wine, breathing hard against the old brick wall, waiting for the displeasure feeling be disappeared. Now she _understood_ why Mina had dared to flee to the frozen lands of Count Dragul's territory in the first place... Seeing now _how_ Mortimer really was, what the female vampire mouse had done was _absolutely_ understandable and acceptable. "And now, I have to go to that party and be _alone_ with that guy..." she muttered to herself, twisting her mouth as she imagined such an unpleasant scenario: She didn't doubt that in all the time that she would last in that place, even miserable _five_ minutes, Mortimer _would_ try _everything_ to put his claws on her...

"…You _won't_ be alone."

Ortensia gasped in surprise at the sudden voice, but a few milliseconds later, she was smiling with a mixture of relief and pleasure: From the shadows of the alley came the face crossed with slight scars of his beloved bunny, approaching where she was, then he cradled her face in his hands that, although his fingers were rough after long years of fights, his touch was still gentle to her. "Didn't that bastard get to kiss you?" He asked in a growl.

"Were you following us?" Ortensia asked him with surprise, arching an eyebrow. "I didn't feel you there."

"I told Mick and Basil that I wouldn't let you go cajoling that rat without fighting with claws and fangs... And although I lost against their arguments, nothing prevented me from following you to make sure that asshole wouldn't do something. And if you couldn't detect me, that means I _haven't_ lost my style yet." Oswald replied with a boastful smile, making her laugh; After a while, the hunter rabbit's expression hardened slightly: " _This_ can end as _good_ as can end terribly _bad_. I don't want you to _expose_ yourself to so _much_ for something that can be very _little_."

"We _must_ do it, only then we can know what he is doing. So, we can know what is plotting and thus be on the right track. That way we can stop _all_ this madness. And I'm _not_ afraid to do it, Ozzie," Ortensia said with a twinkle of determination in her eyes. The male rabbit sighed with a smile of resignation.

"You win, dear. You will go to that damned party. Let's hope we get something useful out of all this that you're going to do for us... "Oswald gave way looking at the ground and kicked a stone that was there, frowning. "I'll be there, hidden somewhere in the house. If he tries _something_ and you see I'm not around, kick him _directly_ to his groin, is the _equivalent_ of punching a shark right in the nose..."

"Ozzie...?"

"Yes, Ortensia?"

"Kiss me."

The monster hunter didn't waste time: As if obeying a martial order, he had reincorporated, cradled Ortensia's face again in his hands, pressed her even more against the brick wall and to _fiercely_ reclaimed her lips with his own...  _All_ in _less_ than five seconds. The female black cat smiled with satisfaction as she wrapped her arms around the broad back of the male rabbit, drowning little sighs of pleasure that emerged from her throat when she was squeezed in his arms, happy for her reward after such a nasty time that she had just passed.

Now that the scenario was established, now it was a matter of _planning_ the _strategy_ for the _hunt_ for that eventual night.

**To be continued…**

**Author’s note:**

**(1)** Butyric acid is a monocarboxylic acid, present mainly in some fats. It was discovered in 1814 by Michel Eugène Chevreul. In a concentrated state it has a strong and unpleasant smell of stale butter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Butyric acid is a monocarboxylic acid, present mainly in some fats. It was discovered in 1814 by Michel Eugène Chevreul. In a concentrated state it has a strong and unpleasant smell of stale butter.


	7. Red spotting, red letter

Several days passed. The late but still present spring in the air seemed to invite anyone to go out, to have fun and enjoy the mild temperature, despite the permanent haze everywhere... However, that didn't show much in the inhabitants, who always walked with fear and glancing everywhere as they crossed each corner, even keeping the curfew from nine o'clock at night. Although the mysterious murders made by the Blotling hadn't happened again, Mickey, Oswald and the others were very alert, waiting, knowing full well that, although the attacks could have stopped for the time being, (Perhaps because the creature was hibernating, according to Mina; perhaps because the creature was still digesting its prey, according to Oswald), they still organized the patrol every two nights, waiting for some sign of an attack, waiting for some response from the ink sample they had obtained from Mortimer Mouse (without his consent, of course), still in a chemical repose to see some kind of reaction and see any similarity with the sample previously collected from the corpse of the little rabbit.

Despite the growing urgency and palpable stress of solving the elusive mystery, the atmosphere in Detective Basil's house remained as cordial and affable as ever:

The Draguls kept their blood thirst at bay thanks to the very useful blood bags that Dawson (who was slowly losing his fear of them) supplied them from several hospitals under the excuse of doing pious medical experiments, and when there was no availability of them, the couple just waited until the night to fly to the nearest forest and have a feast of deer and roe deer until dawn, always with the precaution of not sucking out completely their prey's blood to avoid suspicion or provoking more panic already among the population... As for Mina, she had accepted being away from operations for her safety, dedicating herself to helping Ortensia and Dawson with the investigation as much as possible and obediently fulfilling by her role as sentinel, so Oswald eventually forgave her for her mistake.

The Van Helsings for their part was trying to collect information during the day, with Ortensia in the company of Dawson or Basil walking the streets to ask questions or interview Blotling witnesses to get some clue, while Oswald communicated with letters or code Morse with other hunters from the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe or America to know if they had ever heard of a creature similar to the Blotling and how to fight against it, receiving disparate answers and advices: Panchito Pistoles told him to use a bazooka; the brothers Mason and Jason Kettle told him laughingly to use a Molotov cocktail; Nick Wilde added to use nitroglycerin and acid so he would be sure to dissolve it completely... However, no one could tell him what the hell that thing was exactly and if it had any established name already.  _"It seems that it really will be a new creature to be added in the bestiary, Van Helsing,"_ Jack Savage had written to him gravely in his last telegram. Oswald had realized (in the middle of his palpable irritation) that it was indeed the case, looking at the Blotling drawing and writing possible theories about its size and form of attack. He was so absorbed in his task that he had barely paid attention to three letters that had arrived that morning.

The first one that was destined for Oswald, was the confirmation of a large sailboat that would be at his beck and call for a long trip to Samoa, when he was ready to use it.

The other, also for him, was a letter from Donald Duck, who would visit them in a matter of days.

...And finally, the last one, was the long-awaited and repugnant invitation for Ortensia Van Helsing to the "charity party" of Mortimer Mouse that, according to the note, would be a masquerade for May 5, that is, within less than a month. When Oswald had finally noticed the last letter, he had to make an inhuman effort to NOT throw it into the fireplace.

* * *

"Van Helsing, my friend, I haven't seen your snout for a long time!" Donald exclaimed with a smile as he shook the hand of the black rabbit tightly, after crossing the threshold of Basil's house. Everyone else had come to receive him, too, including the Draguls, recognizing him as part of the convoy that had come with Oswald to the castle the first time, shaking his hand with affability.

"Said the one that disappeared when things had become interesting in the Dragul castle" Oswald replied with an identical smile "Where the hell were you getting? Trying that your uncle doesn't explode himself with his experiments?"

"Agh, don't talk to me about him," the duck snorted with a grimace "He has recently become obsessed with making a kind of chewable gum with a permanent flavor... Definitely age is making him more and more senile and less lacking in common sense... And speaking of old crazy ones, he told me he left you some items, can you tell me what they are, Ozzie?"

"Oh, it's not much, really, I'm doing my own experiments and I needed something from your uncle." the hunter replied with a shrug. Seeing Donald's curious face, he added in a low voice: "...I'm testing if the pyrotechnics can be used as an offensive weapon while also being used for fun... but please don't tell anyone: Ortensia was quite angry when she found firecrackers under our bed on one occasion, and I don't want her to send me to sleep on the floor again..." he finished with a hurtful expression, leaving the duck horrified.

"...Now I don't know who is more insane here, if you or Uncle Ludwig, Oswald," Donald replied, shaking his head, "If you're going to test that thesis of yours one day, don't count on me this time."

"I'll find a suitable target, don't worry, who knows... Maybe if we find the Blotling, I can..."

"Yes of course, bright colored sprinkles will be useful against that, whatever the hell it is" Donald interrupted with mockery, then composed a serious expression "To all this, do you know what is supposed to be 'that'?"

"We still don't know, none of my colleagues have heard of 'that' before, so we're practically researching blindly," the black rabbit said with heaviness, sitting next to the duck by the fireplace, accompanied by the others. Donald accepted with a face of relief the small glass full of redcurrant rum, given by Mina, "we went out to investigate the surroundings at night, and my wife next to the assistant of Basil are investigating the substance that the creature apparently exudes, we are still waiting for any result. "

"In that case, let me help you with the investigation, Oswald," Donald replied with aplomb, taking the rum glass in one long sip. Both Oswald and Mickey were perplexed.

"Really? Will you stay to help us?"

"What a strange suddenly help, even if isn't bad, is still curious," Mickey replied casually, reaching for one of the bags of blood that had been brought to them in the morning. "Why is that, Mr. Donald?"

"Well, apart from my uncle asking me personally, I have nothing else to do: My girlfriend Daisy went to study for a season in France at a girls' school and, obviously, I cannot enter without being chased by dogs trying to pluck my feathers." He shrugged. "So, I thought I'd come help in any way I can."

In that, a noise of falling books was heard and Detective Basil's head popped behind a corner of the room, startling the poor duck.

"Splendid! The more hands available, the better; it's always better to have more brains working than only mine, even if it's extraordinary. Mr. Duck, I want you to come here, I'll update you on our operations so that you can be part of our cast." And he retired again, being heard again noises of books and other things in the other room. Donald looked at Oswald and raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you always tend to join with such eccentric people, Ozzie?" The vampire hunter just shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of resignation, composing a crooked smile. Ortensia, sitting next to him, stifled a small laugh.

**...**

A day later, just after dark, Oswald and Basil were in front of a small hostel in the Camden neighborhood, where Donald was staying, to do the patrol that night. They didn't have to wait long; a local employee told them he was preparing his room and would be down in less than five minutes. Covered in their long cloaks, the detective and the hunter patiently waited on the threshold of the place, still looking around if they see something strange. Due to the intense cold that was doing, Oswald had taken out his iron flask and drank several sips of vodka to warm his body up, then offered the detective a bit. He had kindly rejected it.

"Do you already have any plans for 'that night', Mr. Van Helsing?" Basil's sudden question startled Oswald, who then he cast him a shadowed look. "Excuse me, I didn't want to bother you... And I certainly tell you that I  _don't_  support this plan at all... believe me, if there were  _any_   _other_  alternative, I would apply it without hesitation."

"I believe you, Basil, don't worry about that; she's determined to do it, she says she can help us with some clue and says she's not afraid."

"I sincerely  _admire_  the courage and audacity of your wife, my dear Van Helsing." The slender mouse replied with a half bow. "Just hope that  _won't_  happen too much problems at that moment... And if there were,  _we'll_  have a contingency plan ready to avoid any mishap that  _could_  hurt her." He added with the tone more serious as possible, pulling a faint smile from the famous Dutch hunter.

"That reassures me, and let me give you an advance, since your plan is do the patrol with Donald in Cavendish Square during that night: I already have an  _idiot-proof_  plan." Oswald said without leaving the slight smile. Basil made a worried face.

"You sound  _too_  safe, Van Helsing… aren't you open to some mishap that could happen...? What I would like  _least_  is that Mrs. Ortensia is affected by any failure of your plan! Aren't you worry if something happens and distort the flow of what you have planned to do...?"

The black rabbit's smile became more malicious and even smug. "Oh, I  _don't_  deny that something like that can happen, Mr. Basil: Hunters  _must_  be prepared for any  _unexpected_  movement that our prey does, so I am  _fully_  aware of that, and although we have our strategy firmly established from before, we're always open to improvisation and the unknown."

" _Interesting_ , who would say that being a hunter could have a certain  _degree_  of  _resemblance_  to be a detective," said Basil, also smiling, impressed. At that, there was the squeak of an iron door and behind it came the well-sheltered figure of Donald in a brown long coat and a hat. "Just in time, my friend, are we leaving now?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for the delay, but the innkeeper took more time than to normal to checking me before leaving, apparently they're still very nervous due to the attacks, although there hasn't been more until now."

"It's beneficial and prejudicial at the same time: the prudence to keep life safe is necessary to avoid some other unfortunate death, but also can make the monster hide more" Oswald muttered fumbling in the pocket of his long coat and then extracting a small handgun. "It's unlocked, so be careful when using it."

" _Eeeeeehhhh_... I would honestly feel  _safer_  if you use it instead of me, Ozzie."

"Don't say nonsense, Donald; it's essential to protect yourself if we're apparently in front of an enemy that can become invisible and move quickly," Basil replied rather enthusiastically. Donald put the same face as if he had been told what he would be the Thanksgiving dinner.

"I would  _even_  feel  _more_  secure with Count Dragul at this moment," the duck sighed, "Is he still patrolling?"

"That's right, the neighborhood of Soho, precisely where we find Lord Mortimer before."

Donald snorted irritably at that name, then he shuddered "How cold is right now! No one would be crazy enough to go out tonight without freezing their feathers."

"That's why I wouldn't be surprised if the victims were just tramps, but what happened in Kensington with the turtle family  _destroys_  my theory," Basil murmured grimly.

They had taken the mule to the farthest sectors of the neighborhood, looking for the most remote and isolated areas, something that was noticeable with the houses blackened and with signs of sordid negligence, in addition to the lack of lit lanterns, so Basil had lit his own lamp. The silence was almost total, broken only by the whistling howls of the wind that apart from shaking the broken glass of several houses, pulled out whispers from their cloaks.

Oswald kept his senses to the fullest and his long ears held high, expecting to hear some strange noise, because, truth be told, he had his mind elsewhere...  _Specifically_ , in a  _mask_  of bright pink with purple and silver colors, adorned with brightly colored ostrich feathers that had appeared on the porch of Basil's house that morning, accompanied by a note…

**...**

_**Use this mask to cover your sight,** _

_**Away from the stress,** _

_**Stay with me all night.** _

_**And let me touch you under your dress...** _

_It hadn't a clear signature, but a phrase at the bottom of the page: 'Yours truly, the charming Duke. ...Upon seeing it, Mickey Dragul had broken into loud laughter and even tears of laughter, saying that it was the most pathetic poem he had even read in centuries. Mina had wrinkled her face as if she had swallowed garlic sauce by mistake, snarling indignantly: "How the hell could my uncle had thought that he would was a good match for me...?! Sending this hideous thing to a woman who is married, and he claims to be a good Christian...!"_

_Finally, when Ortensia finally saw it, her face became as green as her own eyes, then everyone turned to see Oswald with fear, waiting for him to explode with rage and indignation, bellowing that he wouldn't let his wife expose herself to a pervert like Mortimer... In fact, the rabbit's fingers were shaking as he clutched the frail piece of parchment with too much force... Fearing the worst, the female black cat had approached to him and carefully took the note away from his hands, then she made little ball with that and had thrown into the fire without any remorse._

_"Don't let him affect you, my love... Despite to be of the nobility, he's too vulgar. It's the worst poem I've ever received, no matter how beautiful and florid his calligraphy has been... Even your first letters with your crooked calligraphy are a lot better than this garbage." She had told him with all the seriousness and affection of the world, managing to calm him down. Oswald's black eyes looked at her with a disturbing decision that even made Dawson hide behind the uncomfortable Basil, who had also heard the repulsive content of the note._

_"Are you still determined to go, Ortensia?" her husband asked her, staring at her. The female black cat blushed and nodded vehemently._

_"Of course, I know the risks there are and I'm not afraid, and less afraid to know that I have a valuable card hidden in the shadows of the corridor" Ortensia replied with admirable decision, impressing Basil and even the same Count Dragul. Mina smiled at her in appreciation._

_Of course, everyone understood thanks to those last and enigmatic words, that the Van Helsing spouses had a retaliation plan._

_Without a doubt, Mortimer Mouse would pay dearly for that note._

**…**

Suddenly, a noise brought him out of his thoughts, noting that both Donald and Basil had also been distracted for a moment. The moment Basil had looked back at him and was about to say:  _"Did you hear that?",_  Donald let out a quack of horror, pointing at something with a trembling wing:

"Look at that!"

They both turned: A small, black-colored figure had come out of an alley, because of the thick fog around it, it was impossible to see its facial features, but they did notice that it was the size of a dwarf and with big round ears, ears that remembered a lot to a mouse...

"Let's chasing that! Be careful, we still don't know how it attacks!" Basil exclaimed getting off the mule and sounding with all his strength the silver whistle to ask for reinforcements from the vampire mouse, although he had said before that he didn't like that system because it made him look like a trained dog. The three of them ran after the Blotling, who was moving away from them at great speed.  _"Damn, he's running away!"_ Oswald thought taking out his Holy Gun and starting to shoot while running; the blessed bullets of adamantium pierced the head, shoulder and stomach of the creature, making it stop abruptly. Oswald, Donald and Basil also stopped, keeping their distance from the being, who had turned towards them, showing them (much more clearly), its face... The eyes of the three men widened.

It was an ink creature with a deformed face, huge eyes, snout and huge teeth like a mouse, all in a black tar color... The monster made a malicious smile and, slowly, the holes in his head, left shoulder and stomach, which were completely clean and without blood coming out of them...  _began_  to  _close_  on their own, as if it were an entirely watery creature, without bones, muscles or organs inside. Shaking with fear, Donald aimed and fired, managing to tear off his right arm... The creature gave a metallic laugh, immediately regenerating the limb with the same substance that exuded. Then, he jumped in the air towards them.

"RUUUUNNN!"

The three separated in different directions, the creature landed right where they were just moments ago, Basil threw himself behind trash cans, taking out a flare gun and firing into the air, hoping that someone (especially Mickey) could see them and give them a hand. Oswald and Donald still fired at the creature, but it seemed impossible to reduce… to every hole or wound that they made him, the Blotling covered them quickly, his regeneration capacity was completely paranormal. Oswald realized, with frightening  _clairvoyance_ , that they were going to lose, that when they ran out of ammunition, they would be at the mercy of the strange being... And indeed, it happened, Donald ran out of bullets and then the creature had been thrown over him, clinging to his arm. Donald let out a heart-rending squawk as he watched the creature open his jaws and showing alongside his huge mouse teeth, a row of smaller sharp teeth,  _ready_  to rip and tear.

"Donald, look out!" Oswald yelled and then he threw a bright object at them at high speed. Seconds later, a big and silver anti-terror knife was deep buried in the side of the Blotling's head, causing him to be distracted for a few seconds, something that Donald took advantage of to come off of the monster's grip and falling backwards. The ink monster tore the knife from his head without any difficulty and began to close the wound again, clutching the knife to the terrified duck that was still on the ground ...

...Two seconds later, a flock of bats shot out like dark cannonballs towards the Blotling, pushing him into an alley. Stunned, the duck looked back, meeting the bright scarlet eyes of Mickey Dragul. "I  _never_  thought I would be  _relieved_  to see a vampire in ALL my life!" Donald muttered in a strangled voice.

"At least I got here in time, I found something terrible and that's when I heard you guys. He came into that alley, he can't escape. Ozzie, come with me, the others stay in the rear," Mickey said hurriedly to Oswald, who nodded. Standing side by side, the vampire and the hunter slowly entered the alley which was well lit by the moonlight, observing that, after the bat cloud had vanished, there was...

"NOTHING!" Mickey and Oswald exclaimed in unison, perplexed.

"But how the hell could that thing disappear?! It had no way to escape or go anywhere!"

"Did you see if it went flying or jumping towards the rooftops?"

"Impossible, I could have  _seen_  it or  _felt_  it fly or jump, and that never happened," Mickey said with a frown. They approached the wall that marked the end of the alley, removing the few boxes and garbage bags that were there, without any traces of Blotling, not even ink. "It's as if it had vanished."

The four men remained silent, waiting for several minutes if the creature appeared again... Just hearing once more the sharp howl of the wind. Not a single soul was seen in the place other than theirs.

"I cannot believe we had survived against that," Basil muttered, then looked at Donald. "Did that thing bite or scratch you"?

"Now that you say it, no," Donald said, looking at his wing from all angles. He felt the forearm and wrist of his wing in pain, no doubt from the inhuman pressure that the apparently fragile little arms of the Blotling had applied to him when he had grabbed his wing, but there were no signs of teeth or claws. "Seeing this,  _now_  the idea of being plucked by dogs from the French school  _doesn't_  sound so bad to me." The comment helped to relax the terribly tense atmosphere that had remained after the attack, even causing Oswald, Mickey and Basil to smile. Then, Oswald looked at Mickey harshly.

"A few moments ago, you said you found something terrible before you heard the whistle... What  _did_  you find?" At the question, the vampire's friendly smile erased from his lips, turning somber.

"It's  _better_  if all of you see that."

* * *

 

Almost ten minutes later, the four men were on a rooftop in one of the houses in the main street of Cavendish Square, which, despite being almost midnight, was illuminated and, more importantly, full of people. How had they got there so fast? I'll let Donald answer that question with a whimper:

"If flying is  _like_  this... God, I  _better_  stay on the ground, thank you," the duck moaned, breathing big mouthfuls of air to counteract the dizziness of having flown with Oswald and Basil with Mickey dragging them. The vampire clicked his teeth impatiently.

"Oh  _please_ , flying is the most basic thing for vampires, and it gives tremendous advantages, you mortals  _should_  create your own fly machine," Mickey said irritably. "Now,  _instead_  of complaining, you should see what's happening down there."

They all looked down, and since they were in a low-rise house, they didn't need binoculars to clearly see what was right in the middle of the pavement: He was a small piglet with a dark pink body and wide ears. His body was open in big cut along his body and the intestines were exposed and rolled up on one of his shoulders. Large patches of black ink spread across the exposed organs and the face of the piglet. The attack had apparently been so rapid that the victim hadn't had time to react, because he still held a packet of candy in his rigid and inert hand (1). It was a  _dantesque_ scene, enhanced by the cries and howls of anguish from someone in the small crowd that surrounded the dismembered body (" _Piglet! Piglet!")_  ...that reached them, drilling their ears, making more terrible to watch that... Then, Donald vomited all the beer and roasted cake that had been served in the hostel for just over an hour ago.

"May the Lord have mercy on his soul." Basil murmured closing his eyes with despair. Another murder and they hadn't been able to capture the creature responsible, which had escaped from their fingers. He felt a mediocre and useless detective. Oswald, prey of rage, kicked a container that was near there.

"Damn it, it happened again! And that damn monster escaped right in front of our noses!"

"This doesn't make sense, I can only think that there is definitely more Blotlings terrorizing London, perhaps they are expanding or reproducing, making to trying to capture them is little more than impossible, given that they resist firearms" Basil said with a rueful expression on his face. "If that is true... We are  _alone_  to the  _mercy_  of God."

"And that's not all I found, detective," Mickey said suddenly in a somber voice. Everyone turned to see him: Count Dragul had pulled a heavily folded letter from the lapel of his elegant suit. Oswald took it and opened it, taking the lantern from Basil, who at that moment seemed too stunned to read, bringing it closer to his eyes. It was a short note, with no apparent recipient, with red letters and a very elegant and florid calligraphy that resulted vaguely familiar to Oswald... He read aloud:

**_"For Queen Victoria, the metropolitan police of London... and, especially, the great detective Basil and his partners vampires and scavengers._ **

**_Is better to accept that a force superior to your god or your rulers is dominating you from now on. It would be easier._ **

**_Yours truly, the destroyer from the shadows."_ **

Oswald became  _livid_ , not only because of the content of the letter, but also because of what he had said about Basil and them. "The Blotling  _knows_  about us! Here it says  _clearly_  about the Draguls and about us!"

"In other words, we're  _fried_ , we fell in the hot skillet," Donald said, still kneeling and shivering due the arcades and the terrible vision of the shattered corpse that was still embedded in his retina. "What we're going to do now?"

"Go on this case, we  _can't_  allow it to win, if your theory is true, Basil, this is expanding and will affect everyone in the country and certainly the continent!" Mickey exclaimed, looking much paler than usual… He remembered Bernard's words in the castle, about a danger that could affect the world…  _"My world, my kingdom, my Mina..."_ , he thought. There was no doubt that Oswald was thinking about the same thing, about that horrendous black tide that could crawl against his nation, against his people, against Ortensia, against his children... They couldn't allow such thing! They had to keep trying to capture or defeat him, no matter the cost!

"I  _cannot_  believe I say this, but you're  _right_ , Mick," Oswald said resolutely. "We have to put together another strategy and use all available weapons against that thing, it will undoubtedly attack again and if it does, I'll be there and, I suppose, you too." The Count Dragul made a dark chuckle.

"Hey, Van Helsing, you're not going to have all the fight, I'm in the same boat as all of you." At that they heard a dry throat clear: It was from Basil.

"I am very glad that the encouragement has returned to all of you, gentlemen, but there is a detail that is slipping away... Mr. Van Helsing, doesn't that calligraphy sound familiar? Look at it carefully." The black rabbit saw her again, approaching again the lantern to illuminate it completely. Mickey and Donald (no matter how sick he felt) had also bent over to take a look. An unpleasant sensation ran through Oswald's fur, watching that calligraphy so florid and pretty for too horrible words, looking like...

"Hey,  _doesn't_  that letter  _look_  like the one that Mortimer had sent to Ortensia?"

**...**

Finally, the big night had arrived. The main street was more crowded than usual. It seemed as if it was already Christmas or rather the  _Bonfire Night_ (2).

Ortensia Van Helsing accommodated the flamboyant and ridiculous mask over the bridge of her nose to see better around. Several women were walking in front of her, also wearing masks and huge dresses heavily overloaded with ruffles, fantasy flowers and colored ribbons, as well as exaggerated Marie Antoinette style hairstyles with even more exaggerated hats.  _More_  than a high society party, it looked  _more_  like the fucking Mardi Gras Carnival of New Orleans. Ortensia looked at herself for a moment: At least she wasn't stand out as much as those ladies, wearing one of her purple flower hats that she liked a lot, as well as one of those fancy Gothic-style dresses from Mina. She felt she had the  _perfect_  combat apparel to infiltrate into  _enemy territory_. Finally, she crossed the tall black bars that delimited a huge mansion with two floors and exaggerated dimensions, as if it were a royal residence. Ortensia even doubted if it really was Mortimer's own residence or if he had perhaps rented it from some nobles with more wealth than him, after all, according to what she knew, the mouse had been  _desperate_  to marry Mina to obtain the wealth of Uncle Scrooge...

Oh, and  _speaking_  of the devil in question...

"Ortensia, my dear!"

 _"Crap, he saw me..."_ She thought. "Good evening, my Lord Mortimer, have I arrived too early?" Ortensia asked with a well-simulated shyness. Mortimer Mouse had appeared at the front door and was wearing a dark blue mask that matched a kind of vampire costume, much like those worn by Count Mickey Dragul... What was very ironic for her, undoubtedly. He made an evil grin.

"Not at all, darling, you've arrived, as the French we say, elegantly late. The  _party_  had just  _begun_ , and I felt that  _something_  was missing...  _Now_  I  _see_  what  _it_  was." Mortimer added, looking her up and down,  _undressing_  her with his eyes. Ortensia stopped herself from grimacing, determined to  _not_  be afraid of him.

"Then let's  _not_  wait any longer, my lord! Show me your domains!" she exclaimed, grabbing Mortimer's arm, leaving him surprised and pleased. He grabbed her by the waist with his other hand, leading her inside that house, inside the wolf burrow...  _"Don't be afraid, 'Tensia, don't be afraid..."_ she thought.

"Admire my  _domains_ , my beautiful flower!" Mortimer Mouse exclaimed with a broad smile.

Ortensia's face was frozen in an expression of utter horror under the mask and makeup. If she has could, she  _would_  have  _ripped_  out her own eyes with a spoon at that moment.

The large room, illuminated and crowded with furniture, had an intense aroma of incense and spices that did NOT cover the smell of opium, morphine and other drugs that almost made her lose her balance, still imprisoned in Mortimer's claws. Several guests, disguised as they were, were drinking alcohol directly from the bottles in a scandalous way while others were ingesting drugs like opium or even cocaine; others were kissing and touching other guests or already directly, prostitutes. She  _wished_  that last thing would have been the  _worst_  thing that Ortensia has seen, because she saw several extremely young girls and boys,  _practically_   _children_ , in the arms of older men and women, letting be  _kissed_ ,  _hugged_... And even be  _touched_  under their skirts and costumes

"Well, what  _do_  you think of my little private  _meeting_ , my dear Ortensia?" The mouse asked, still clutching her... Ortensia let out a nervous, almost  _hysterical_  giggle.

"I think... I think is lovely."

_"Oh fuck, NOW I'm scared!"_

**To be continue.**

***Roundabout song intensifies***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> (1) Death clearly based on the murder of Catherine Eddowes, one of the five canonical victims of Jack the Ripper, found in Whitechapel on September 30th of 1888. Apart of having her intestines over her shoulder, the victim had several stabs and several organs excised. It was famous the detail that apparently the attack was so fast that Eddowes didn't even release the package of breath mints that she had in her hand.
> 
> (2) The Bonfire Night or Night of Guy Fawkes is a parade of torches that takes place in the United Kingdom every November 5th to remember the attempt attack against the parliament made by a Catholic terrorist, Guy Fawkes, on November 5th of 1605. His face would be the iconic mask of V for Vendetta, which would also become the symbol of the hacker group Anonymous.
> 
> I killed Piglet! Pooh will never forgive me TwT. It seems that Ortensia got entered in the hot skillet.
> 
> Next chapter: Lemon explicit.


	8. Candles and Chains in the Rat's Nest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shade: It's time to have some fun, so this filler episode (which is NOT a filler episode at the same time) will have an explicit lemon.
> 
> (Also, I can boast that it's the first lemon Oswald/Ortensia in ALL Fanfiction :D)
> 
> Warnings: +18. Explicit Lemon. Furry/YIFF. Allusions to child abuse. Slight violence.

"Have the weapon ready, this time we will be alone before a possible attack."

"You don't have to tell me twice, Basil, I'm ready," Donald answered immediately, though without an uncertain and somewhat fearful tone. While they were without Oswald's help (" _Well, that's perfectly understandable,"_ Donald thought with a grimace) or of Count Dragul leaving this time (He had gone out hunting and patrolling with Mina to a forest), Detective Basil had managed to get a small group of Scotland Yard policemen armed with truncheons and revolvers to accompany them to round Cavendish Square and the sites of the last attack. They went through all the possible alleys, looking for some sign, waiting for the sighting of the creature... However, some had their mind elsewhere, enhanced by the words of some of the police officers when they had all gathered to begin patrolling:  _"I hope Mrs. Van Helsing is not in imminent danger to her life or rather to her integrity..."_ Basil thought with a frown. He had to admit that this plan still caused him too much guilt and he knew that he would be one of the first to regret if something went terribly wrong... He hoped that, whatever the plan of the vampire hunter was... ended be infallible and "idiot proof "as he had affirmed with total security.

"Pssst! Did you hear that?" One of the policemen whispered suddenly, making everyone stop, straining their ears. They stopped in an abandoned fishing area, where the few sources of light came from a few light posts in the corners, as well as the lamps of the uniformed ones. Everyone got off both the mules and the carriages and began to scrutinize; Donald had taken out the revolver borrowed from Oswald and was aiming in all directions, expecting some strange movement... Suddenly, a low growl to his left alerted him.

"There!" Donald whispered to the others and with a sign of his fingers he made everyone sneak in that direction, then stopped, looking in amazement: Over a big wood box, a small Blotling was tearing a body on the ground, focusing better, they realized it was the disemboweled body of a vulture. The ink creature apparently hadn't noticed the presence of them, so it was still nibbling the exposed flesh of the bird and filling it with ink spots. Donald, Basil and the others were getting closer and closer... One of the agents had left the group for a moment and had returned with an old broken fishing net that he had seen lying around, ready to throw it over the monster. "Very well, at the count of three, we throw it... One... Two..."

* * *

_"Three!"_

The guests shouted ecstatically as Mortimer Mouse emptied the bottle of champagne over the half-naked body of a courtesan, dressed only in a corset that revealed profusely her breasts, garters and a tiny lace panties. The prostitute let out a few exaggerated moans while some masked presents came to lick her neck, breasts and cheeks soaked with alcohol. Immediately afterwards Mortimer then offered the drink to Ortensia from the same bottle, but she immediately took out a silver hip flask, the same one that Oswald used to have in his trench coat, saying between fake giggles that she preferred whiskey made at home... determined to  _NOT_  drink  _anything_ that the duke or any of that filthy party could offer to her.

Everything in that party was the pure definition of  _decadence_ and  _debauchery_ : To each place where the female black cat posed her eyes, there was some indecent scene from the guests, whether drinking indecently, swallowing like pigs or laughing out loud from the arm of masked and naked prostitutes... Ortensia, who had come to imagine that the intense and burning nights of  _love_ and  _desire_ with Oswald for a long decade would be seen as inappropriate according to the prudish and strict Victorian moral...  _Now_ , astonished and totally disgusted, she was completely  _convinced_ that she and her husband had a  _chaste_ and demure marriage compared to the sordid sexual feats that she saw before her own eyes without ant shame, like a fat pig with an ecstatic face while one of the Courtesans had her face sunk into his voluminous belly, moving her head to the beat and making loud sucking noises and being choking by the strong pressure of him forcing her to suck at him more and more; or young people on all fours and with their butts in the air, being whipped with cries of pain and pleasure with whips, wooden palmettes or by the same hands of the guests, leaving red marks and even slight cuts in the fur... Or something even more gruesomely graphic: A young female monkey disguised as a Chinese Empress being penetrated vaginally and anally by two large rhinoceroses dressed like clowns; further on, a crocodile disguised as a knight was recreating one of the most infamous scenes in Apollinaire's book,  _Les Onze Mille_ Verges, with a little girl, using the  _same_ position and everything, silencing the agonized cries of the creature with a gag, while several assistants shouted enthusiastically that the he should tear her even more...  _All_ this whirlwind of horrors caused the liquor ingested just moments ago returned to Ortensia's throat along with bile, making a great effort to avoid vomiting, swallowing several times... In the end she was forced to close her eyes several times. She had never felt such  _repugnance_ in her life, not even in the first years of hunting monsters with Oswald.

She decided to get away, looking for the back garden of the mansion to be able to get rid of that insane environment for a moment, not only because of what was inside, but to breathe something that wasn't regurgitated alcohol, opium or morphine. She sat in the grass, behind a stone fountain and rest a hand on her violently beating heart, breathing deeply, trying to calm down.  _"It's only been half an hour and I think I'll go insane there"_  she thought with despair, enduring the urge to cry with everything he had seen, the cries of the little girl still had them in the eardrums. She prayed to God and the Virgin that Oswald's plan would turn out well, but she must still wait for the signal... Suddenly, a noise alerted her, remaining as still as possible.

"Did you bring the blueprints of the city I had asked for?" a deep voice of a man who tried to sound charming said, but who had a malevolent tinge in the deep inside, then she heard a spasmodic laugh that could only belong to that of the Mortimer Mouse himself.

"Yes, my dear sir, I have brought it in. Although this has cost me more than you can imagine, more than 100 pounds sterling... I hope you have enough to pay for them."

"Pay for them! Do you doubt my word, my dear duke?! Not only will I pay him those sterling pounds, but also, because of your excellent work, I have brought you what you had dearly asked for, so all the plan will work soon... " He paused" Why is it so ink stained?"

"Oh my! Did you bring them? Really?" The avidity in Mortimer's words was evident... And disturbing.

"Do not evade the question, Mouse." The voice of the unknown man, although it still sounded deep and melodic, let out a hint of impatience that was noticed by Ortensia's sharp ear. Mortimer Mouse let out a snort.

"Bah, it was my fault, I admit it: We were having a lot of fun that same night he gave it to me, that I was late and to escape from his wife, who is a literal gorilla, I had no choice but to jump out the window."

"Wow, your love feats will one day take your toll, my good friend."

"You already know what the writers say my friend:  _Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead_  (1)."

"No doubt. Well, stained or not, it's all I need... He'll be happy with this, here's your reward, my friend, use them with restraint, you  _don't_ want the female guests to end up in a hospital bed  _instead_ in your bed with roses, ready and at your mercy... "

"Oh, don't worry, my diligent Lord Ratigan... I intend to use it with restraint... And with  _only one objective_ in mind."

 _"Ratigan? Blueprints of the city? Plans?"_  Ortensia thought completely confused. Although she was dying to look out and see who Ratigan was and what he was doing with Mortimer Mouse, she could be seen by them... And she was sure that, within that sordid and hypocritical world where they proclaimed modesty and chastity at all costs... and under the shadows there were things like orgies and depraved worshipping, they could easily make her disappear in the waters of the Thames only to silence her as a possible witness. She stayed as still as a fox in the undergrowth hiding from a hound, barely daring to breathe, praying that they wouldn't detect her...

Then she heard them crash their hands and their voices back again to the noise of the house, that's when Ortensia dared to poke her head over the edge of the fountain: Mortimer Mouse was playing with a small dark bag between his hands that could pass for an innocent bag of candy for children at Christmas... Or it was something else. However, it was the other man that caught her attention: It was a male rat like Mortimer, but much taller than him or Basil, and twice as muscular and corpulent as Mickey. He wore a top hat like the one Oswald used to wear, but with an elegant suit and coat. One of his gloved claws held a heavy wooden and gold cane, and with the other he held tightly a roll of parchment stained in ink. Although it was impossible to see his face, Ortensia made sure to remember everything... Even though she felt that several pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fit together, some still didn't make any sense:  _"What could those plans mean? Who would that Lord Ratigan be?"_  she thought. She knew that, although all that was suspicious, she still couldn't determine it as some proof of being associated with the Blotling. Ortensia should keep investigating... Go  _even_ deeper.

And going deeper meant... Approaching Mortimer Mouse and pulling from him  _anything_ useful. At the thought, Ortensia twisted her mouth, took out the hip flask again to give herself another strong  _sip_ of  _alcohol_ and  _courage_ and after made a strong sigh, she got up from the lawn and bravely went back to the  _loony bin of sin._

**...**

After a couple of seconds of intense struggle, Mina buried her fangs in the doe's neck, paralyzing her immediately, causing her to collapse on the ground. The female mouse settled down better on the back of her prey to drink better, feeling the blood slide down her throat as if it was claret wine. Her husband, who had just dispatched a huge male deer, was watching her with a mixture of tenderness and diluted lust. That savagery, that energy that Mina showed every time they went hunting... What the hell, all that excited him a lot. "Mina, my dear, don't you  _fancy_  a delicious  _dessert_  prepared by me? The presentation dish will be  _my_  own neck~"

"..."

"Minnie, darling, I'm  _dying_  to be with you,  _here_ ,  _now_ , in this forest... You can let the doe go, she's already lost a lot of blood."

There were still loud sucking noises, and drowned sounds of agony from the prey. Mickey's expression of amusement turned into one of concern. He approached his wife, still attached to the doe like a leech. "Mina, enough!" The vampire mouse exclaimed, grabbing Mina's neck and pulling her up, releasing the doe from her jaws, dripping blood. With a grunt, the female mouse turned to look at him, showing her teeth and her crimson eyes flashing in a disturbing way... She looked like a wild  _beast_. "Minnie, my love... You have to calm down." Mickey replied while pressed her against himself, feeling her tremble little by little until she began to calm down and coming back to her senses. With a grimace he looked at the doe, already practically bled. "Wow, what a mess you made here... I'll have no choice but to punish you" he murmured caressing her long dark hair; then he heard a sigh on his shoulder.

"I... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Mickey, I got carried away."

"I know... Well, at least it wasn't a person or one of our allies." He looked at her rueful and guilty face, like a beaten dog. "Let's get out of here, let's see if the damn rascal of Van Helsing  _finally_  accepts some help in the plan to  _checkmate_  the  _queen_  of Mortimer."

"Wow, I didn't know you liked chess, Mickey," Mina replied at last, composing a smile, as she took his hand and felt the coriaceous wings emerge from her back. Count Dragul laughed and then composed a wistful expression.

"Emily and the other ghosts taught me to play many years ago, my father, on the other hand..." He made a grimace "Well, he thought it was a useless child's play, but he never imagined how fantastic it is when you're creating strategies. "

"Strategies like the one we're doing against Duke Mortimer, my lord?"

"Exactly, my lady,  _exactly_  like that, besides..." He added, turning to look at her as they started flying like two exhalations. Mina shuddered at the vampire's dark gaze filled with lust. "...We can have a  _little_   _fun_  while we lend a hand to our friends."

**...**

Finally, he had been able to find him, in the midst of all that filthy bacchanal that would surprise the Marquis de Sade himself: He was slouched over an armor, still fiddling with a curious bag embroidered with gold that seemed suspicious. He tried to get closer without taking his eyes off him, hoping he wouldn't see him first. Luckily, his extremely striking attire was a perfect camouflage. Suddenly he stopped behind some huge of oriental-style vases, watching intently, feeling his hand twitching inside the lapel of his cloak: Something had happened... Or rather...

"Good evening,  _my_   _lord_  Mortimer."

"Good evening, my sweet flower, are you enjoying my humble party, don't you think it's lovely?"

"It's... my dear Duke, I must say that everything has left me...  _Wordless_ "

" _Wordless_ , words aren't necessary to express things, my dear flower!" The mouse exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders, startling her with a gasp, her face had starting to make him  _doubt_  about the mission. "We don't need words for what we  _will_   _do_  at this moment...!"

And before his own face, between her gasps and protests, Mortimer had taken her face in his hands and pulling it towards him brusquely began to kiss her.

It was as if time had stopped at that moment for Oswald, while watching the most unprecedented and painful scene in his life. Not having injured his arm in a fight with Count Dragul, or the irons that the vampire priest had buried in his body... could be compared to the intense flash of pain and jealousy that had been born from his inner core... A homicidal rage was boiling his blood like a locomotive. At that moment he only felt one desire: To send his idiot-proof plan to the shit and blow Mortimer Mouse's head and testicles for having dared to do the unthinkable: Take something that was only his. Almost insane with pain, Oswald Van Helsing had taken his gun from the lapel of the pirate costume he was wearing to begin a massacre in that damn mansion... Then something stopped him... Or rather,  _someone_.

Ortensia, his beloved Ortensia, was  _staring_  at  _him_. She had pinned her bright emerald eyes at him and while struggling with Mortimer, began to blink several times in such a way that, anyone else would have believed that she was trying not to cry or that she was dazzled by the light... But for her husband it was another thing. And he had recognized it:

 **_Morse_ ** _**code** : "Don't do anything. Wait."_

And Oswald, though frowning and boiling with rage, obeyed her.

* * *

Seeing that her beloved Oswald had desisted from murdering Mortimer at that moment, Ortensia returned to focus on her goal. She turned to look at the duke, still holding her by the face with one hand and with the other touching her figure in a very indecent way, with closed eyes and ecstatic face for having achieved his hideous task. On his neck hung a curious gold reliquary with a crimson cross that she recognized almost immediately: The Cross of the Templars.  _"The amulet against vampires! I have to take it off from him...!"_ She slid her hands down his back, breaking the fabric of his shirt, then looking desperately for the closing of the reliquary, until after several distressing seconds of Mortimer's hands touching her body, Ortensia had managed to open the brooch and let the consecrated reliquary slid down from the neck of the rat to her bodice, where she felt it land in the middle of her breasts. A second later, the female black cat pushed Mortimer abruptly, causing him to retreat back, making him release the bag from his hands, pouring its contents on the ground.

"You, miserable! How dare you kiss me like that?! Don't you know  _who_   _I_   _am_?!" Ortensia exclaimed, choleric. Mortimer, past the shock, composed an ironic smile.

"The beautiful and delicious Ortensia, apparently."

"Ortensia Van Helsing, and as you can see, I'm a married woman, you cannot treat me like that! Would you like to something like that happen to your wife, Mortimer?!" Ortensia spat with a rage. Mortimer chuckled.

"...If my wife did that, I would leave her  _immediately_ , because I would not be with a  _slut_." Mortimer's words left Ortensia livid and pale as wax. "Instead, you're at my lovely party, I'm sure without permission from the scavenger that your husband is, and now, when you return to Detective Basil's shack, you can kiss him after kissing me!"

"I wish there was mud here so I could wash my mouth," Ortensia said, squinting. "It would be less disgusting than your lips." Mortimer's face broke and he had raised his hand, probably to try to slap her for the offense, but he stopped. Then, he composed a smile.

"I'll make you regret those words, naughty kitten... Be careful, because at some point not even that hip flask that you have will save you when I take you to my special chamber..." He licked his lips in front of her face and then he started to walk away. "Oh, and don't think you can flee to ask for help from your husband or your horrible bat friends... I won't let you leave my domain until I have you in my claws... One more time."

And still laughing, he moved away from there. Ortensia closed her eyes, breathing hard, taking out again the hip flask with a trembling hand and bringing it to her lips in a desperate attempt to erase the disgusting taste of the mouse's mouth. Then, she put her hands on her knees, looking down... Suddenly, a chocolate-colored ball caught her attention. With fingers still trembling, she took it and held it close to her eyes. Her scientific knowledge came to her to the rescue, giving her a lapidary answer:  _Lytta_   _vesicatoria_. Spanish fly...  _Cantharides_. (2) An infamous aphrodisiac... and a less known  _poison_. Mortimer had this in his hands. Now, the last words he had exchanged with Ratigan in the garden intertwine with those that Mortimer had just told her before leaving and the subtle but clear threats... As he had said in his letter, Mortimer Mouse wanted to see under her dress. And he would do it by force.

She looked at Oswald who was still standing behind the Chinese vases, as  _pale_  (or maybe  _more_ ) like her. Starting to feel dizzy, disgusted and scared, she said to him just moving her lips: "Let's find a place."

**...**

After "Three!", the agents sent the fishing net towards the Blotling, but it had managed to see them out of the corner of the eye and had moved to the left to a surprising speed, avoiding it at the last second, starting to run towards the alleys. Consternated, Basil, Donald and the policemen ran and shot to the creature and although some bullets had impacted in apparently vital parts, it continued running as if nothing ( _"It's a demon!"_  Had shouted one of the agents). Then they saw that the creature had bent to a corner that was apparently an alley with a blind spot. "It won't be able to escape!" They shouted in ecstasy and threw themselves into the alley ready to capture him ... There was an unusual silence and then an exasperated croak from Donald:

"Damn it, it disappeared again!"

**...**

The female black cat followed an enigmatic masked pirate to a deserted hall, still feeling slight tremors. The sight of the cantharid and Mortimer's threats had worried her: Although she knew that Oswald would be able to provoke a massacre in that mansion to prevent the duke from laying his hands on her... She also knew that Mortimer would have the guests on his side and that they would be as depraved as him. They stopped behind an armor that was next to a large window that looked like the courtyard. The pirate stopped and then turned abruptly to her, staring at her; Ortensia's eyes filled with tears at Oswald's angry and hurtful expression, so she immediately threw herself into his arms and began to sob, fearing for a moment that he would reject her... But her beloved bunny returned the hug, pressing her against his chest as if he didn't want to let her go. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't want to do it, Ozzie, I  _didn't_  want to..."

" _Ssshhh_ , it's okay." Oswald hushed her, running his fingers along the nape of her neck and behind her ears, knowing that gesture always reassured her. "That damn rat forced you, so this will NOT stay that way, I promise," he whispered, pressing his lips to his wife's forehead, feeling her tremble in his arms. Then he separated and looked at her. "But why did you stop me from intervening? What did you do?" Ortensia looked at him, still mournful, and then blinked in surprise, with a face that had just remembered something... Then she lowered her eyes and sank her fingers inside her bodice. The blush of the Dutch hunter didn't wait, making him to remember with a warm smile when they had their first kiss years ago under that weeping willow. Then his smile turned into stupefaction when a round gold reliquary with the scarlet cross of the Templars emerged out of her cleavage. "Where did you get that?"

Ortensia handed it to him. "Mortimer had it in his neck, so this is the amulet you talked about the night we interrogated him at Basil's house, the one who protected him from Count Dragul's influence... So, I assume that without this, he's now vulnerable! "

Oswald's ears were raised in amazement at her words. He had forgotten that detail! How he could be so stupid? Now they had a great opportunity: He took the face of Ortensia and planted a loud kiss of surprise, savoring the whiskey from his own hip flask and then let go, leaving her dazed but with a big smile. "Well done, Ortensia! You're so smart, dear!"

"Bah, I hadn't planned it," she said, still smiling. "Does that mean... you're  _not_   _mad_  at me anymore?"

"With  _you_? I never was, my beloved." Oswald replied tenderly, taking the hands of the cat, making her sigh of relief... But then she gasped when she felt his fingers tighten hers, to then see that the black rabbit had a fierce expression under his mask. "But that doesn't mean that I won't have my  _retaliation_  later... I've to regain my  _dominance_ over what is  _mine_."

"Oh," she murmured, feeling her cheeks burn and her heart beat wildly at the  _so_   _dominant_  tone of Oswald's words. Then she laughed. "I could  _never_  refuse to  _that_ , my love." She added in a submissive and tender tone, knowing that it would cause a strong  _throb_  from her husband... In a  _specific_   _part_  of his body. "But we will do it later, we must first reduce Mortimer and look for hints in his house... But we should find a way to break him down without having problems from his guests."

"You're right," Oswald muttered, frowning, brooding, then looking at the window and the starry sky. "...If Mick was here, we could make him hypnotize that rat and get him out of the way..."

_"...You raaaaaang?"_

"Aaaaaaahhh!" Oswald and Ortensia had shouted and jumped back in unison, luckily the music of the mansion had managed to prevent anyone from going to them. "Mickey, fuck, you almost kill us with fright!" Oswald yelled angrily at the smiling faces of Mickey and Mina Dragul, although their heads had emerged from above the window and now hung upside down.

"Hehehehe, an opportunity that I  _couldn't_  pass up, Van Helsing," Mickey replied with a mocking smile while Mina was holding her mouth to silence her giggles. "Did you need me, long ears?"

"It hurts to admit it, but yes." Oswald replied. "Tensia managed to leave Mortimer, the  _Count_   _Dorkula_  without his vampire protection amulet, so we can hypnotize him to  _do_   _exactly_  what we want."

"Really? How did she do it?" Mina asked in amazement. The smile on Ortensia's face vanished. "What...? Don't tell me that he..." She composed a threatening expression and her eyes flashed. "How could he have dared...!"

"And that's not all." Ortensia said in a low voice looking at her husband "... If we don't act fast, Mortimer will make his immoral entourage  _'prepare_   _me'_  for him... With  _this_ " And she showed them the cantharid. "Mortimer had it in his hand, it's an infamous aphrodisiac with very toxic effects, so I don't know if he will try to  _drug_  me or  _poison_  me."

"And he will do it  _over_  my dead body," Oswald said immediately. Mina jumped inside the window, her eyes shining menacingly.

"And over mine." she said fiercely. "...Let me take care of him."

"Are you... Sure, Minnie?" Her husband inquired suspiciously, also entering inside the window. The female mouse turned to him with a boastful gesture, unusual in her.

"I'm satiated with our dinner in the woods, dear, so I don't want to bite anyone... And come on, Mortimer gives me too much disgust to even sink my teeth on him. This is something I wanted to do for a long time."

"Well, if you're going to do something, it's better that you do it now." Oswald replied, taking a look from the corner of the lobby "...Mortimer has just left a room on the second floor."

"And what will I do?" Mickey asked crossing his arms. Oswald stepped forward and, taking out the stolen amulet, he put it on his wife's neck.

"You and I will take a short  _walk_  to the kitchens, rodent."

* * *

"My Lord Mortimer... At last we're alone," he heard Ortensia purr precisely. The heart of Mortimer Mouse jumped, believing that in the end the female black cat had surrendered for good and had come to present the white flag of surrender and with it, the access to her smooth thighs... Adopting a seductive attitude, the Duke took several steps forward, waiting for the beautiful black cat as a sign of submission, as any woman should be before someone as seductive as him... When he met her eyes, he  _didn't_  find two gems of an intense green and a tremulous smile,  _but_  two irises of a brilliant red color and a dark smile crooked and full of sharp teeth...

* * *

_**"You will obey everything I order you~"** _

"...Yes, my master."

 _ **"Then... I order you and the others to serve that wine,"**_  Mickey said mentally to the waiter, now with his eyes completely lost, pointing to a wine barrel where Oswald had finished emptying a powerful narcotic from a small green bottle and then stir it with a wooden ladle. The waiter and his assistants, all now subjugated to the power of Mickey, began to serve the adulterated drink in glasses and place it in several trays. The vampire and the hunter looked at each other with a mocking smile when they admired their work, when the revolving door of the kitchen opened, revealing the smiling faces of Mina and Ortensia, escorted by Mortimer with an air of being  _lost_  in his own world. "How was it, dear?" Mickey asked with satisfaction approaching the girls. The mouse shrugged with a humble gesture.

"It came out better than expected."

"It was  _sensational_!" exclaimed Ortensia with enthusiasm, "Mortimer fell in three seconds after seeing her. Mina  _even_  ordered him to do a deadly somersault backwards and he did it!"

"Fantastic, let's start now  _before_  Tensia suggest to use Mortimer as a guinea pig for her experiments," Oswald teased tenderly, making her blush.

In this way, Mina and Mickey ordered Mortimer and the waiters to serve the wine glasses to the guests, with Mortimer announcing with joy the guests that he has an  _"exquisite and rare drink from the East"_  and that they would be the  _first_  to  _taste_  it, an unique and unrepeatable privilege... Inside and alone in the kitchen, the two couples tried to hold their laughter over how naively, each of the guests drank the adulterated drink, ending with the same Mortimer and the assistants drinking it in turn, as if it was a suicidal cult during their last supper. As the minutes passed, the four put together the new strategy.

"Very well, as soon as we see that  _everyone_  is asleep, we will close all the doors so that nobody can  _enter_  or  _leave_... Mickey, you and Mina will go through the whole ground floor and the basement?"

"It doesn't sound very complicated... And maybe we last less than you," Mickey said smugly, Oswald just rolled his eyes.

"There is something very important that you should know: Before you both arrived, Mortimer was talking to a corpulent rat who called himself Ratigan," Ortensia explained ." He's tall, wearing a top hat and a suit, and carrying a cane. Mortimer had given him blueprints of the city that are very important, according to him... anyone see him? Ozzie?"

"Hummm, I don't remember seeing him," Oswald said, frowning. "Maybe we can see him among the guests when everyone falls... And speaking of that...  _Does_  anyone hear  _anything_?" he asked raising one of his ears against the door: There was a strange silence that, for a few moments, had taken over the next room. The two couples, holding their breath, struggled to hear the slightest noise, until suddenly a guest dressed as a buffoon came suddenly through the door. Mickey and Oswald reacted by pushing their wives against the wall to defend them, but then they saw that the guest vomited against the wall and collapsed, already without moving, as if he had been hit with an invisible mallet. Oswald, Ortensia, Mickey and Mina looked at each other. Then they armed themselves with courage and left the kitchen, admiring with amazement and evident satisfaction, their work: It seemed as if a spell had  _plunged_  them into a dream of a hundred years, like the court of Sleeping Beauty; there were bodies leaning on the tables, on the chairs, or on the floor. No matter how much they moved them, they didn't react at all. The scene was presented in the lobby, where guests, cooks and servants were mired in sleep, adopting strange and grotesque figures.

Oswald and Mickey went to the front door to drag any body that had been left out and thus close the doors, when suddenly they saw a figure hunched against the wall of the lobby. Approaching more, they noticed that it was nothing less than Mortimer Mouse himself. A thread of drugged wine dripped down his chin and in the midst of his slumber and mental control there was a shadow of fear... Oswald took the wonderful opportunity to punch him in the face, previously placing one of his silver knuckles before doing it; the head of the rat hit the wall and collapsed on the ground, bleeding profusely from the snout and uttering pitiful groans of pain, even in the midst of his torpor, then Oswald step on his genitals with one of his boots. " _This_  was for Ortensia,  _asshole_ ," Oswald whispered into his ear as he rummaged in his pockets and took out the set of keys to the mansion, before leaving him lying like a miserable sack of potatoes on the floor.

Mickey raised his eyebrows: "How  _nice_  you are, Ozzie; in other cultures you would  _castrate_  the bastard and  _put_  his bleeding genitals in  _his_  mouth."

"It will be in another moment." the hunter said shrugging, returning to the room full of bodies, while their wives inspected each guest. They noticed that Ortensia covered the bodies of the girls and boys that were used as pleasure toys with the coats of the other guests to cover their nudity.

"Any trace of that Ratigan?"

"We didn't see him," Mickey and Oswald replied at the same time.

"We don't either," Mina said shaking her head. "Well, let's split up: you guys upstairs and me and my Mickey down, it's a pretty big house, how long will last the effect of the drug, Van Helsing?"

Oswald started counting on his fingers. "I used the whole bottle and it is the strongest narcotic that Basil had in his laboratory according to Ortensia...  _maybe_  between six to ten hours."

" _More_ than  _enough_. It's midnight, we'll see each other here before dawn."

**...**

The house had two floors, so they wouldn't have to open too many doors to inspect. Luckily all the guests were in the main room and there was no need to neutralize anyone... Without the unconscious bodies in the great hall, the house would seem dead with such sudden silence after all the fuss and lack of control of before. Oswald and Ortensia Van Helsing had registered and turned upside down seven of the nine rooms of the second floor, not finding much in them but luxurious furniture, attics and even curious antiquarian objects. After spending half an hour in a room that served as a small library, they had discovered the immense debts of Mortimer Mouse and the written evidence of being constantly besieged by creditors  _("And yet he makes these ridiculous and expensive parties!"_  Ortensia growled), as well as several letters from various casinos and even brothels and well-known dating houses in London. After closing the door, they approached the last one to check, which was on the right wing of the house and from which Mortimer had just left before falling under the influence of Mina, what could be there? It was closed, so it took a good ten minutes to find the right key... A soft golden glow greeted them...

Oswald raised his eyebrows,  _disconcerted_. Ortensia blinked,  _dazed_.

It was a middle-sized room, curiously not the biggest of all the house. The window was completely covered with ivory-colored curtains, so that not a single gust of wind was able to enter the room, completely filled with chandeliers with thick yellow and white candles commonly used in Churches, looking like trembling points of light and heat... much heat in fact, so Oswald went to open the window, showing him the London night sky, full dark and no stars… "It seems that it was here where Mortimer was  _intending_  to bring  _me_."

"What?" Oswald asked sharply and focused his eyes on her: The female black cat was observing something on the bedside table next to a large bed of white sheets and embroidered bedspread. She turned to look at him and pointed with a grimace of disgust a ceramic bowl next to a candelabra, full of small brown candies, looking  _much_  like... The male black rabbit stared at her, feeling  _again_  the homicidal rage that had seized him over an hour ago. How could that rat have dared...? He felt that punching him and stepping on his testicles hadn't been enough  _satisfaction_... He  _needed_  more. He  _wanted_  to do something  _more_ ,  _something_  more to  _humiliate_   ** _him_**...

"Oswald..." The alluded one raised the glance, meeting with the green eyes of Ortensia and her hands placing over his. By the light of the candles, those eyes seemed to shine more, as well as to highlight the delicate features of her face, already without that ridiculous pink mask... It was like an intense green forest bathed in the sun, a place when he'd be lost one and a thousand times more. Slowly, her hands broke free of his and began to wander, restless, by his long ears to then find the cord of his blue mask and taking it off, gasping to see the intense dark look of her husband... They had removed their masks and they were themselves again, in that place that looked  _more_  like a church  _altar_  than a room  _prepared_  for there to be  _perpetrated_  an  _abominable_   _crime_... Just as their eyes met, their lips did too, first in a soft and delicate cadence, but then moved on to something desperate, evidencing with their hands caressing both the neck and the waist of the other, hugging more, grabbing more. Soon the lack of air was present, and they had to separate, with burning cheeks and agitated breathing. Ortensia had a determined, almost defiant expression, and he was sure that his wasn't different... No. They have to stop. They weren't there to waste time, they had to keep investigating, they had to... But like a moth attracted to the light of the flames, Oswald took again  _dominance_  of her mouth,  _burning_  her,  _claiming_  her,  _possessing_  her...

He half-opened the eyes, hearing Ortensia sighing and moaning against his mouth: She was feeling Oswald's big hands on her thighs, still above her wide skirt, making her shudder against him. Her gaze was now ignited, like a bonfire in the middle of a clearing. They couldn't think anymore; they couldn't act rationally anymore. The black rabbit parted and went to the door. The hall was totally deserted, not a fly was heard... Then Oswald closed the door and ran the latch, securing it inside.  _"What am I doing? I feel like a youngling with my behavior... We look like immature youngs in heat."_  he thought with an intense blush on his cheeks. But when he turned around,  _all_  mature thinking went to  _sink_  when he saw Ortensia sitting on the edge of the bed, no longer wearing her boots and playing with the edges of the carpet with her bare feet, giving him a radiant smile... She had understood, she had followed this sudden and naughty game... In that way, Oswald just entered into the " _autopilot_ " mode: He approached her as a  _predator_  would do before a helpless  _prey_ , and she had already begun to back up until being in the middle of the feather mattress. The cat's smile widened as she became imprisoned under the robust body of the rabbit. The emotion, danger and the absurd but exciting sacrilege of fucking in the same bed where she could have been raped seized her to the core... "Hopefully the Draguls  _won't_  hear us," Ortensia murmured, sliding her hand down her husband's flushed cheek. Immediately the male rabbit rubbed against her warm palm.

"Even if they hear us, I doubt they'll come in. Or  _maybe_  they'll pretend dementia... I really  _don't_  give a damn." he murmured in turn, already totally  _surrendered_  to the situation and then stole Ortensia's breath by deep and fierce kisses, while his hands placed hers over her head, immobilizing her between the soft mattress and the firm chest of Oswald. The rabbit gently licked her lower lip, asking permission to enter, something Mrs. Van Helsing gladly granted, causing the tongues to engage in a brief but intense battle for the other's supremacy, with Ortensia losing on purpose, letting herself be dominated by the hunter, writhing under his body. Oswald let her breathe for a moment, separating from her lips to kiss along her cheekbones and jaw... And then make her gasp and writhe harder when he bite her throat hard, leaving a mark on her fur that he immediately relieved with his saliva, to then suck her pulse point with vehemence ( _"Ozzie, did you suddenly became a vampire, or is that you were infected with Count Dragul's tricks?"_  she sighed with pleasure). It seems that this aggressive act from him had aroused the carnivore instinct of the woman, because she began to get rid of his heavy black pirate jacket and then she did it with his white shirt, managing to tear it a bit, sighing again when she felt the fur and the hard muscles of her husband's back, which contracted at the touch of her fingers, caressing each new and old scar from different fights, a privilege that only she possessed.

A sudden movement that made their sexes rubbed over their clothes made her let out a meow so sweet and so erotic that Oswald lost patience: He grabbed Ortensia and he sat up abruptly, placing her in his lap, kissing, licking and biting her neck with an almost vampiric passion, while the black cat got rid of her top jacket and she got rid of the fringes of her corset, loosening it and leaving her big and round breasts to the hungry look of her husband, who immediately had sunk between them and bite with intensity. "Huummmmmph!" she moaned at the mixture of pain and pleasure that ran down her spine. "Yes,  _yes_... Like  _this_ ," she murmured as the rabbit squeezed one of her breasts with one hand and kissed another, sucking on it like a cub looking for milk... She strokes Oswald's nape and long ears, pressing him closer to her. Soon the bulge in the hunter's dark trousers was too tight against her thigh, so she climbed out of his lap and crouched in front of him, arching her back and purring against his cheek and neck. Oswald smiled amused as he caressed her behind her ears and slid his hand down her back to the end of the corset where the wide purple and black skirt was, beginning undo the buttons that bound it to this... But a panting had deconcentrated him: Ortensia had descended, slowly and torturously through his chest, doing her ritual of kissing and licking his old scars, something that always tenderize and arouse the black rabbit. Her claws, flexed, slightly scratched the short fur, the muscles and the striated skin of his abdomen, making him sigh for more.

"After  _all_  these years, I can't believe you can still make me hot that way."

Ortensia laughed at Oswald's quiet words and again caressed with her claw across his chest and abdomen. "After  _all_  these years, I can't believe you're still looking damned good, it's practically a crime."

Oswald just laughed. She, laughing too, came to the edge of his pants, where his trapped erection was crying out for his freedom, as well as her attention and affection. The female black cat undid the button with a flourish of her hand and saw it unfold before her, ruddy and fleshy, throbbing and inviting. There the rabbit's laugh was cut off; He felt an intense ardor on his cheeks as he watched his wife place soft kisses along his curved member until she reached the tip, as if it were a lollipop. Then a sharp gasp escaped him as he felt her swallow it; the  _heat_  of the whiskey she had drunk had still lingered on her tongue, making her mouth feel  _warmer_  than usual. "… _Fuck_ , yes, Tensia," Oswald muttered, stroking her hair, beginning to move his hip unconsciously against her mouth. "That feels so good." Pleased, the cat kept moving to the beat, scratching the old wounds of his chest with one hand and stroking his fuzzy testicles with the other, taming and placing the famous vampire hunter at her will. She wanted to continue until the  _end_ , determined to  _suck_  his  _soul_  for his cock as a  _succubus_  would, but...

Ortensia couldn't help but be frightened when a hand grabbed her by the neck and forced her to sit up, finding Oswald's eyes completely cloudy by lust, a look she knew very well. She willingly let herself be kissed by him, throwing her arms around his neck and returning the kiss with all the enthusiasm and desire that she was capable of, feeling a sudden cold air in her legs: Oswald had managed to get rid of the skirt of her dress, leaving only in her white bloomers, her stockings and suspenders. Slowly, he pushed her back against the mattress, kissing her and running his fingers through the warm black fur. He sat up a little to look at her: There was so much trust and love in those green gems, glazed with pleasure. Her cheeks were flushed and her fur was messy with sweat... She was at his  _mercy_ , on the  _same_ bed where Mortimer had  _planned_ to rape her... That idea caused both disgust and overwhelming pleasure at the same time. ( _"May God forgive us, what sinful thoughts!_ " He thought with a grimace), he bowed again to kiss her with passion and ardor, seeking to  _erase_ and eradicate any  _essence_ of the filthy Mortimer and leave only  _his_... He was going to  _mark his territory_ and he would do it  _now_. He continued devouring her with kisses as he felt the soft, silky texture of her stockings, raising his hands to the lacy edge of her bloomers.

"Lift your hips." Oswald ordered hoarsely. The female cat shuddered and obeyed, feeling the cloth was removed, leaving her exposed and helpless before him.

Her breathing quickened even more, unconsciously she opened her legs wider and moved her hips subtly, wanting to attract her husband's attention... But Oswald, sitting down on the bed again, grabbed her by her thights and raised her to his face, giving her a malicious smile that made her blush even more, before sticking his mouth in her pussy and lick profusely from her clitoris to deep inside her vagina. "Aaaah! Oswald!" she exclaimed closing her eyes, covering her mouth immediately afterwards, ashamed for giving such a cry.  _"How indecent, to hear us this way, how dirty is all this... but I love it!"_  she thought as she moaned and writhed arching her back like a possessed, feeling the contractions of pleasure in her belly at every wet touch of his warm and expert tongue, feeling the juices inside her slip like oil in the midst of her trembling legs that Oswald was grabbing with an iron grip to keep her still and continue tasting her as if she  _was_ an  _exquisite_ _delicacy_... And since his eyes were closed, it was evident that this  _was_ the case. Gasps and moans escape the gag of her hand, her inner walls throbbed, she was  _desperate_ to cum and at the same time  _desperate_ to have Oswald inside her... Almost reaching the peak of pleasure, the female cat felt that her legs were placed on the rabbit's hips and he had moved over her, causing his member to enter with a single thrust, something that made her feel her internal juices pour out in an intense orgasm, while a loud meow escaped her, throwing her head backward.

There was nothing more for Mr. and Mrs. Van Helsing than that forbidden and insane moment, something that had happened in the past. The dozens of lit candles in the room caused the heat to rise and sweat to run down their furs as they moved wildly on the white blankets. It was an almost  _divine_ as almost  _diabolical_ image, a scenario as  _heavenly_ as that, made to unleash both their carnal desire and the deep love they had for each other, staying like a block of granite in front of waves and storms, after so many years. Ortensia's hips fluttered as she felt each thrust of his cock with a mixture of pleasure and pain as if he was sinking a hot dagger into her insides, tightening her legs around his waist trying to make it even deeper, buried her face in his neck. "Ozzie... Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie...!" she sighed his name without stopping, clinging more to him, scratching his back due to the excitement, causing future scars that the black rabbit would be happy to carry, as well as having her own instead, evidencing with the bites that Oswald was making in her neck, collarbone and shoulders while continuing ramming her, roughly and passionately, just as she liked it. He was grabbing her by the buttocks to be able to go deeper and pace the movement of their bodies, feeling his testicles bounced against her ass, while she opened her legs more, feeling him reach to her cervix, making her screaming even more loudly...

Suddenly Ortensia noticed something she  _hadn't_ seen at first: On the ceiling there was a narrow mirror of polished silver, probably put so that Mortimer could admire his own  _perversion_ while he was with some prostitute... But she  _could_ admire her own  _eroticism_ : She could see Oswald's muscular back, his black cotton tail wagging furiously, her own legs and claws clinging to him and her own flushed face. It seemed beautiful, seeing their mutual nakedness sent her into the  _stratosphere_ of pleasure. Tears ran down her cheeks, her head was spinning, her insides burned and throbbed...  _Deliciously_.

"You're mine...  _Mine_... I love you..."

"And I love you... You're  _part_ of me."

"All this life and the one that follows... yes..."

"Yes...  _Yes_..."

And so, they both reached their own  _Le Petit Mort_ , with Oswald growling against her neck and Ortensia letting out an audible scream of pure satisfaction that anyone on the first floor (if that person had been conscious of) could have heard. The cat felt his warm and thick semen slide into her belly as he had done so many times, draining out a bit and bathing her thighs, still trembling from her own spasms, still hugging her husband as if he was a buoy in the middle of the sea, while Oswald pressed her against himself, still panting on the side of her face, feeling their hearts beat violently, one next to another, like drums... They looked at each other, sweating, panting and with reddened faces. Then they laughed for their mischief committed, still embraced to each she heard Oswald laugh softly against her neck.

"What's wrong?" Ortensia murmured, looking at him. The male rabbit had a malicious smile that matched his reddened cheeks.

"I can't help thinking that Mortimer, who will wake up without knowing what happened, will lie down in this bed and feel our smell. If he is smart enough, he'll understand what happened.

"He  _deserves_  it; Who in their right mind uses cantharides? If having the desire is enough." She whispered hugging her husband, purring with satisfaction. "Besides... Cantharids have toxic effects, and they don't excite you as  _much_  as  _something_  like  _this_..." She added, making a sudden circular movement with her hips that made Oswald snarl against her neck in surprise and pleasure. He looked at her briefly and hugged her tightly, sitting up and sitting her in his lap, still giving small thrusts with his pelvis.

It had been a while since more of the half of the candles had been consumed, but the heat was still in the room,  _intact_.

* * *

"I didn't imagine that Mortimer could fall  _lower_." Mina growled. Mickey nodded silently, watching the room around them.

They had already finished touring the ground floor, the kitchen and the living room of the mansion, without finding any trace of Lord Ratigan, who seemed to have vanished under the handkerchief of an illusionist, as well as some clue of the Blotling. Beginning to feel disappointed, the Draguls entered the basement where the wines and other foodstuffs were kept, looking without interest at the barrels of wine and champagne, as well as the sausages, cheeses and smoked hams... Until they had noticed a door of wood, curiously small, half hidden between sacks of potatoes and flour. Both looked at each other, thinking whether to enter or not... In the end they decided. Unceremoniously, Mickey had destroyed the knob on the door, managing to open it and crawling inside. A sordid darkness had received them from the other side, as if it was a cave or a tunnel. They went on, their fangs and claws ready for any attack... Until they noticed a reddish  _glow_ at the  _end_ of the tunnel. Knowing that it was  _far_ from dawn, it was obvious that it was an adjacent chamber... And in fact, the reddish light were lamps that illuminated a  _room_ : It was a circular chamber, the walls were whitewashed with lime, but still it had a gloomy appearance, with air that reminded a little of the catacombs of Paris. Around them were several sepulchral slabs, each one with a statue of an angel, but with no angelic expressions, but terrifying... As they looked more closely at the walls, Mickey noticed strange objects on stone shelves glued to the wall: chains and neck shackles commonly used by the slaves of the colonies in Africa and America. Frowning, Mickey took them and smelled them: There were  _traces_ of dried blood, as if it had  _recently_ been  _used_ by  _someone_.

" _Curious_ that Mortimer has this in a sacred place of rest... And I don't  _really_ think he's fond of  _expiating_ his sins with  _punishments_."

"It seems that he  _prefers_ to expiate for the sins of...  _others_ " Mina growled from the other side, turning to see him: She was holding a leather whip. "This has traces of blood, and it's  _not_ Mortimer's."

The Count raised his eyebrows. "It seems that satisfying the  _low desires_ in the traditional way  _wasn't_ enough for that rat..." he grimaced. "Even for a creature like me, it's  _repulsive_."

Mina snorted and sat on a grave. "I still  _can't_ help but feel a chill about how close I was to  _not_ running away from home to not marry him... I can still remember the words of my governesses and tutors regarding my doubts on that subject:  _"Don't worry, sweetheart... Love is also learned."_... I had almost come to believe that, that I could learn to love him, that it would be best to do my duty, so as not to upset Uncle Scrooge... Now I see everything and I'm shivering on how I  _could_ have  _ended_ if I had married Mortimer: Enduring these horrible parties and if I refused to be with him, surely dragged me chained to a dungeon like this... And Ortensia could have  _ended_ in this place. " she murmured closing her eyes... To then open them to feel the claws of Mickey cradling her face.

"I have  _always_ said that it's  _not good_ to cling to the decisions of the past, but to worry about the ones you  _will_ have to  _take_ later... You  _made_ your decision and  _now_ you are here with me." the vampire mouse murmured, looking down and kneeling in front of her. "Well... I don't know whether to consider myself worthy of you, but I would  _never_ lock you up in a punishment chamber."

" _No_ , you're  _more_ than worthy of me," Mina whispered caressing the vampire's cheek, smiling. "You're  _more_ than that, you're my husband... For  _all eternity_ or  _until_ the sun explodes and burns us all."

"I  _don't_ doubt that, my dear," Mickey murmured, taking her hand and kissing it fervently... Then he remained motionless for a moment, like listening to something. In front of the strange face of his wife, the Count made a malicious smile. "...  _And_ if you're worried about Ortensia Van Helsing... Don't worry: I think she's  _enjoying_ herself in her  _own dungeon_ , hehe."

"What are you...?" Mina's words died in her throat when she heard a scream from the female black cat several floors above... But her sensitive ears  _caught_ a tone of  _pleasure_ and  _lust_ in her cry... Ortensia  _wasn't_ in danger, but... " _No_ , it can't be ...  _She_ and...  _Oswald_? Are they  _doing_...?" She grimaced with shock: "But how  _indecent_ they are, and they say they are a  _devoted_ Christian couple!  _Doing_ those  _things_ in Mortimer's house...!" Mickey laughed, hugging his wife, clutching her tightly, preventing her from escaping.

"Come on,  _don't_ be hard on them... That rat made them have a hard time, they have the  _right_ to have  _fun_ , and  _besides_..." he continued approaching dangerously to her, brushing her lips with his breath. "... _when_ the  _blood_ is  _restless_ , that  _desire_ , powerful, intoxicating and sweeping, seizes you and  _consumes_ you,  _no matter_ your race or your religion, my darling." he whispered hoarsely and lowering his eyelids, shaking the female vampire mouse.

"I suppose... that can also be  _said_ about  _you_ , my lord" she whispered in turn, in velvety tone, placing her arms on the back of the mouse. Mickey couldn't take it anymore and melted into a deep kiss with Mina, a long, imperious, thirsty for blood , the kisses transformed into soft and sensual bites to the lips of the other, eliciting moans and gasps of surprise and pain. The vampire mouse pressed closer to the female, diverting the kisses to her neck, where she enjoyed herself with profuse bites and hickeys, all the while massaging Mina's long dark hair with his fingers. In turn, she, completely anxious, took off the black cloak from her husband, as well as his neat black vest and white shirt, making a pile of clothes on the stone floor.

Mickey smirked against her lips. "It seems that the desire also woke up in you, my dear," he whispered emphatically, getting rid of her outer jacket and tearing off her bodice with a single jerk, making her exclaim in surprise at the brutality of the movement, covering her breasts unconsciously, then feeling silly: She was supposed to be his wife, she didn't have to hide anything from him... Mickey took her hands and gently pushed them aside, observing with tenderness and lust the great and appetizing breasts of the female mouse. "I'll  _never_  get tired of seeing them, just like I'll  _never_  get tired of  _you_ ," he murmured with desire, then devouring her again with kisses and clinging to her, feeling his chest crush against her breasts, making her moan harder against his mouth, wanting more. Surrounding his neck and opening her lips to entangle her tongue against his, Mina was letting herself fall backwards, letting out a gasp at the icy cold of the worn sepulchral slab, dragging Mickey on top of her, inviting him to continue ahead. They  _wouldn't_   _wait_  to find some comfortable bed of feathers as the male rabbit and the female cat had done... They would do it  _there_  and  _now_.

Count Dragul would  _never_  admit it, much  _less_  in front of the devout Van Helsing couple, but the idea of doing it in a crypt, in a resting place for the dead, was exciting and boiling his blood. He pulled away from her lips and grabbed her two breasts at once, crushed his mouth into them, sucking noisily from her nipples, now hard between his teeth. "Mi... Mickey, aaah, Mickey!" Mina exclaimed incoherently, writhing between his claws, feeling her voice rumble in the mortuary chamber. She opened her legs wider, feeling her husband rub against her, blushing as she felt the hardness of his cock against her thigh... Wanting to savor it. With efforts, she managed to making him stay on his knees, while she got up and approached the hard bulge of his pants, kissing him and licking him on the cloth, making the mouse gasp at  _such_  an erotic scene... He himself lowered the pants for her to take out his member. He couldn't help stifling a scream when Mina popped the whole thing into her mouth, causing the vampire to begin to see blurred due to pleasure. He grabbed her face and pushed her deeper against him, growling with satisfaction, until it came hard inside her mouth. The female vampire almost choked on so much semen in her throat, but she managed to swallow everything, then sat up to kiss her husband savagely, making him moan when he tasted himself. They allowed themselves to rest for a few moments until Mina grabbed her husband and slammed him against the grave of surprise, standing on top of him and kissing him fiercely, biting his lower lip with force until he bled. Still panting, Mickey looked at her: Her eyes were like burning embers... She was in a frenzy. Before he could say anything, she placed her wet vagina on his face.

"Mickey,  _adore_  me...  _Adore_  me as you know how to do it." she whispered. The mouse vampire smiled and placed his claws on her thighs, opening them more for him.

"As my queen  _wishes_ ," he muttered, and immediately she began to moan he slid his tongue deep into her vagina, drinking from the divine source she had offered him, while she took jumps of pure pleasure, rubbing her pussy against his face while she threw her head back. Mickey tried his best to please her, sliding his claws down her thighs and then down her waist. The Count Dragul couldn't take it anymore and grabbing Mina by the waist, he lifted her slightly and pushed her back, making her bottom brush his cock, making it clear what he wanted. Crazed with pleasure, Mrs. Dragul inserted his member deep inside her, letting out a trembling moan in the air. She turned to look at him, her eyes shining like rubies under the sun. " _Imagine_  I'm a bull of Lydia, dear," Mickey laughed and began to push harder from his position, making her moan louder.

A little self-conscious at first, she began to rise and fall on his member, but when she caught the rhythm, began to put a lot of energy.

Her breasts bounced cheerfully in front of him and completely  _crazed_ , he ran his hands from her hips to her breasts, squeezing them. "Miiiickeeyyyy!" she had shouted of pure ecstasy, in a way that it was obvious that she would be heard by her friends upstairs. She lowered the body to be able to kiss him and their mouths merged in a long and sensual kiss... There were a point that the sepulchral slab was about to crack as they were violently fucking, soon the kisses became bites to the mouth of the other, making trickles of blood trickle down their chins, licking with  _ravenous_  hunger the blood of the other... He couldn't stand much more, ready to explode. "Mickey... Mickey! No... I  _can't_  ... Uuuughhhn!" Mina yelled as she convulsed violently over Mickey, hearing Mickey's harsh grunt as he filled her with his seed, grabbing her hard against him, touching the Paradise with their fingers. They remained embraced for a while, with her head resting on his neck, breathing rhythmically, their limbs tangled and trying to catch their breath.

"But what  _indecent_ , my dear...  _Doing_  it at my old fiancé's house, and moments ago I  _censored_  the Van Helsings for the  _same_   _thing_... But I loved this." She whispered against the neck of her husband. Mickey smiled, placing his arms under his head.

"I told you, when the blood wants it, it consumes you... But, do I tell you something, dear?" He paused and planted a kiss on her forehead, pearled with sweat. "My blood is  _not_  calm  _yet_."

Laughter and eventually new moans were heard  _again_  in the crypt.

**...**

Basil and Donald slowly approached the end of the alley where the Blotling had escaped, with the agents guarding them from the rear. There were bags and a couple of garbage boxes. They were sure that Blotling couldn't have gone flying, nor was it a ghost... So, how could it have vanished? "He disappeared in the same way as the Blotling we had fought before... The Count Dragul said it hadn't gone flying, nor is he able to get through the walls," Basil murmured, resting his hand on the cold and dirty brick wall, without any sign of ink... Suddenly, his gaze became strange, between abstracted and absent, as he looked slowly towards the ground, full of garbage..

"Detective, what are you doing?" Donald asked when he saw the mouse throw pieces of old boxes and garbage bags back, leaving the agents equally surprised. Then he stood still, looking at the ground. "My dear Donald, do you know a famous phrase of Saint Augustin?" He turned to look at the duck's confused face, as well as the policemen's. Then, he made a sign so that they will approach him. Fear but also curious, the others approached Basil, who placed his lamp on the ground... An exclamation of several policemen cut the cold air of May:

On the floor, next to a piece of garbage, there was a external sewer pipe full of ink stains, clearly visible.

"You eliminate the  _sewer_  and the  _dirtness_  will destroy the most beautiful building."

_TO BE CONTINUED._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> (1) Quote of Hans Christian Andersen.
> 
> (2) Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria) is an emerald-green beetle often referred to as Cantharid. The insect is the source of the terpenoid cantharidin, a toxic blistering agent once used as an aphrodisiac. In France they were called "Richielu's caramels". In one ocasion, in 1772, the Marquis of Sade was accused of poisoning several prostitutes with Spanish fly. After a day of orgy, two of the girls suffered an indisposition that subsided after a few days.


	9. Hellish Spotting

Basil silently thanked the cup of tea that Dawson held out to him, after spending an exact hour staring at the smoldering remains of the fireplace, almost motionless in the chair. It was already well into the morning, but there were only the two of them in the room, as both the Draguls and the Van Helsings had retired to sleep a bit, just as Donald had stayed to rest in one of the rooms for being the hostel quite far from the detective's house... "Dear Basil, it seems that the Blotling is not the only ghost we are pursuing." Dawson said after making a brief hesitation. The English detective said nothing. The plump mouse had said something, but Basil was no longer listening... It was as if every gray puff of smoke and ashes formed  _his_ face...  _THAT_ face.

_They had waited them impatiently in the doorway of the house, when they appeared at dawn, just as Donald had begun to snore against the wall where he was leaning. Basil was eager for news, though not so much to let them know about the brilliant discovery he had made when two things had left him bewildered: First of all, the disheveled appearance of the four, as well as the disheveled hair of the two ladies, and specially, the intense smell of sweat that emanated from their furs... When Donald asked if Mortimer and his guests had put the very ugly things in the mansion to the point of having formed a brawl with everyone there, the Draguls had stuttered that no, that they just had exhausted themselves hunting all night and then helping the Van Helsings to thoroughly search the house after drugging everyone... Something the Van Helsings corroborated by nodding energetically. Both Basil and Donald had raised their eyebrows... However, it was the second thing that had left his jaw on the floor; when they had heard that name from Mrs. Van Helsing, Dawson, who had joined them to listen to the conversation in the cozy room, had turned pale as wax, having to lean on a shelf to avoid falling. Basil, also pale and with wide eyes, had asked him to describe it as thoroughly as possible. Mrs. Van Helsing had said:_

_"I couldn't see his face, but he was a tall and corpulent rat, wearing a suit and a top hat, as well as a cane; he had a deep and sinister voice, we looked for him among the drugged guests, but he wasn't there... It's like after receiving those blueprints would he have disappeared from the party."_

_Detective Basil and Dr. Dawson looked at each other in horror. Noticing the silent questions in the (haggard) eyes of both couples, Basil sighed and explained: "Lord Ratigan was my archenemy several years ago, he's as intelligent as he is manic and brutal... He had tried to usurp the Queen's position using an artifact, but with the help of Dawson and Miss Olivia, the daughter of one of his victims, we succeeded unmask him. He and I had fought over the Big Ben and if hadn't been for the chimes that stunned him and make him fall to his death, we would have died that night. " He focused his gaze on Oswald's frown face and Mickey's arched eyebrows. "...But it seems that the dead can sometimes come back."_

_After Ortensia Van Helsing had told them about the blueprints of the city that Mortimer Mouse had given him during the party, Donald went ahead to Basil and told them about the discovery of the detective about the way the Blotling used to disappear. Oswald stuck his palm in his fist, impressed:"So that's how it does it! It did not fly or vanish in the air like a ghost, but it went to the pipes, like vermin!"_

_"In addition to providing shelter, the muddy water from the pipes acts as an insulator and protective layer of the creature's skin," Dawson said showing the ink culture. Basil, Ortensia and Mickey had nodded with understanding air, but in the case of Oswald, Donald and Mina, they stared at him with a face of not having understood a word. The plump mouse cleared his throat: "Simply put, the ink is diluted in the water after a while, which would cause the Blotling to disperse through all the bodies of water, which would be a possible danger to people, but if the Blotling it is in the sewers, whose waters are muddy and oily, it would be in a single point, perhaps hibernating."_

_"Humm, we've seen that the Blotling comes to the surface from time to time to kill whoever it can," Mickey replied frowning. "And if after that it goes back to the sewers, that means..."_

_"...That there are more than one, as the descriptions say and what we saw" Oswald continued leaning on the table, pointing to the police drawings and reports. "All the sewage systems have a kind of septic tank where all the black water accumulates, all that grease and mud would act as a 'mattress' for the Blotling, so it would be..." He looked up to take a hard look at detective Basil. "...bigger than we imagined."_

_"Of course, that 'lake' of sewage is in addition to its 'mattress', a perfect breeding ground." Ortensia said hugging herself. "It goes out to feed and then goes back to its burrow to rest, in that environment it can 'reproduce' or rather expand more and more..." The female black cat took a bronze feather and started scribbling on a white sheet a square with several tubes around it. "Therefore, the Blotlings that we have seen on the surface are like worker bees collecting food for their matrix, for their queen, which would be in that breeding ground." She drew a circle in the center of the square, marking it with a X. "It's a conjecture, but it's possible given the evidence... Now, those Lord Ratigan's blueprints..."_

_"Ratigan tried to seize this country once, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried again, but this time obliterating half the city and more." Basil murmured with a sigh. "What I have trouble understanding is how he could get in touch with that monster."_

_"There are rare cases of mortals associated with monsters, but there are... Here is an example of it," Oswald explained pointing at Mina, still clinging to Mickey Dragul's arm, something that made her blush. The vampire mouse was about to protest, but the Dutch hunter continued: "...as well is my family related to them, although deep down it doesn't matter how Lord Ratigan was able to ally himself with that thing, whether by chance or by covenant, the important here that it's pretty obvious that this alliance gives benefits to both: The creature gets preys and Ratigan gets in return... "_

_"Fear among people, what that leads to having power." Mina whispered before the English mice could open their mouths. Both Mickey and Oswald gave her a smile of appreciation._

_"Exactly, now it is necessary to put together a plan to obtain those plans, or to arrive at the Blotling's den"._

_"And how can we do that?" Dawson asked incredulously. "We don't have the slightest idea where it can be, the sewer system in London is huge and with many septic tanks, it would take us months to check one by one, not to mention that we would die of hunger or intoxication when we're inside of them... Not to mention that until now we had believed that Lord Ratigan was dead and now we see that he was somehow resurrected and would be hidden somewhere in London!"_

_"I'm aware of that, Dawson, my friend, but I think we have no other choice," Basil said, sitting down to take the drawing Mrs. Van Helsing had made. "What we can do is take advantage of the resources we have on hand to close the siege."_

_"Resources?" they all asked at the same time. Basil gave them an annoyingly exasperating look, as if it was something obvious._

_"You four told me that Lord Mortimer Mouse had tried to vulgarly assault Mrs. Van Helsing and that's why you had been forced to reduce him, right?" he asked looking at Oswald. The hunter looked at the ground with a stubborn expression. "If you didn't hurt him as much as I think you did, Mr. Van Helsing, then I think he can serve us beyond being a bridge between the clue all of you got last night... If he can still speak, then make a little visit to the hospital where he'll probably be..." he glanced at both Mickey and Oswald. "The royal hospital in London."_

He drank several sips of the soft tea, almost without feeling the heat that the boiling water had left on his tongue. His mind was working at full speed, recreating again and again the fall of the corpulent Ratigan amid the chimes of Big Ben. Now he imagined him as a shadow that was breaking the cell of the septic tank, where an immense black shape with luminous eyes twisted when it saw him, waiting for some news about their plan...

The rest of the morning he spent pensive, unable to sleep. In the silence of the house, Basil went to the room where he had his Morse code machine (recent gift of the Queen for his years of service) and began typing the necessary words... He knew the immense commotion that could cause to the police about the reappearance of a dead person, so he needed to do this in the most discreet way possible... And he knew to whom he could ask that.

* * *

Oswald opened his eyes slightly at the midday glow that had filtered through the windows. He grunted and turned to the other side, noticing the stooped back of his wife, still wearing the dress from last night, because when they got to the room she had collapsed to the bed... He smiled with mischievousness and satisfaction:  _"Maybe I exceeded a little hitting Mortimer in the snout... We have to question him very soon and maybe he cannot talk..."_ A sigh of Ortensia still asleep was a good answer for those cavilations: _"No, it was worth doing that, we'll see how we managed to get it out this time."_  Oswald had some experience dealing with reluctant and even dangerous subjects... A weak aristocratic rat wouldn't be a big problem.

Before leaving the mansion, still in the middle of the vanished bodies in the room, and thanks to a recommendation from Mina, Oswald and Ortensia had emptied Mortimer's pockets as a way to mask the absence of the Templar's consecrated amulet , that the female black cat was caressing with indolent air in her neck. The purse and a couple of papers were the only thing they found, along with a bag of cantharides, which they placed in the pockets of a couple of dignitaries among in the room. Yes, that trick was wrong, but Oswald had dispelled any moral objection with a single sentence that his good friend Felix would say:  _"They were already bad people, and this would be a good form of punishment."_  ...Well not only had they been content to create a possible fight between the guests, but also, when they left the mansion in the middle of the violet shadows of the early morning, the Draguls and the Van Helsings arrived at a police station and using the vampiric mental power once again, they had urged the policemen to go to check a certain house where it had been carried out 'illicit activities that undermined decency and good manners', breaking the spell at the time the policemen had put their feet on the threshold of the house, with the two couples retiring quickly between laughter and sighs of relief...

Chuckling as he remembered that and imagining the Duke's surprised face and that of his disgusting guests before the arrival of the force of the law, Oswald leaned closer and pressed himself against his wife's warm back, inhaling the smell of sweat still present in her hair, hearing her sigh again, thinking that when she woke up he would give her that _surprise_ that he had been _ruminating_ since a few weeks.

* * *

By late afternoon, the Draguls were the last to go down to the dining room for dinner, while the Van Helsing marriage, Donald, Dawson and Basil are sitting, waiting for them. Apparently flaunting in gallantry, Mickey dragged Mina's chair when she had sat down, giving a malicious smile to Oswald, who only raised an eyebrow with an unfathomable expression and then he reached the basket of bread to Ortensia and Dawson without looking. Being Friday, dinner was frugal, with breads and vegetables for the mortals and the usual bags of hospitals for the vampires ( _"This time it's from a patient with type mellitus diabetes (1) so it's pretty sweet._ " Dawson had said condescendingly as he drank a sip of tea.), and cow raw liver, all beginning to eat, with as a accompaniment music a downpour that was making the windows shake tightly.

Mina was twisting the fork over the bloody piece of cow's liver, barely participating in the conversation that already showed signs of becoming agitated, about different places where Ratigan could be hiding, as well as ways of eliciting information from Mortimer without having to cause a stir in the hospital where he was. Her eyes didn't move away from the red and black remains of the organ, constantly twisting around s if it was a mouthful of spaghetti... Red. Dark red. Piercing red as the bloody pulp of a limb torn and shattered by bites. Intense red like their blood spilling on the floor, spilling out between her teeth and fingers... Crimson red as her eyes when focusing on her next victim, who was trying to defend himself, wielding the silver knife, trying to defend the fainted body of his mate on the ground, knowing that he would lose in a few seconds... He couldn't, no, no one could against her. A hysterical laugh emerged from the deepness of her throat.

"Mrs. Dragul, what do you think about it?"

"Eh?"

"...Did you hear the last thing I said, madam?"

"Eh..."

Basil raised his eyebrows at the babbling of the vampire countess, looking like a schoolgirl caught by her teacher in the middle of a reverie. The female vampire mouse blushed, murmuring apologies for been so distracted. "Minnie, my dear, are you feeling well? Could it be that your blood bag fell too sweet to you?" Mickey asked leaning toward her, taking her by the shoulders with affection and concern.

"Do vampires can suffer indigestion?" Donald asked Oswald curiously, looking at the countess's sunken and dismayed face... The vampire hunter just shrugged. Then he cleared his throat. "Maybe you're still tired... You know, about last night."

"Yes, yes... It's possible." she murmured, looking at the others at the table, whom didn't take their eyes off her. "Pardon me, but I'd like to retire to my room." She pulled Mickey's arm away and stood up languidly. " _Can_ I be  _alone_ for a moment, dear?" she asked Count Dragul, who had started to get up from the table to accompany her to the bedroom, making him sit down again in a dismayed gesture. "Thanks. Good night". And she withdrew in silence, followed by Mickey's eyes, who watched her disappear down the stairs. The vampire mouse sighed and then turned back to the table... Noticing then the glances of the others nailed to him.

" _What?_ " he asked uneasealy.

"Marital problems?" Oswald inquired, sinking his fork into an asparagus. "Don't worry, my friend: it happens to everyone, just give her time and space to calm down and then talk to her and apologize for whatever you've done."

" _Fuck you,_ " the Count Dragul muttered, glaring at him, then he spoke loudly: "For you to know, I haven't done anything to bothered her, in fact yesterday she was very happy and excited."

"Well, it seems that the hunt was more  _exciting_ than usual," the hunter muttered in turn, taking the bite of the asparagus and looking at him with malice. The vampire made an effort not to blush. Then someone cleared his throat.

"Please forgive my husband, my lord Dragul... sometimes it seems I don't have 420 children but one more, a very grown up one who  _doesn't_ know  _when_ to stop." Ortensia sighed, throwing a stern and disapproving look to the Dutch hunter, who blushed in turn and lowered his long ears like a scolded child.

"Well, it seems that now you will have to apply the  _same_ advice that you  _just_ gave me, Ozzie." Mickey said indolently to the black rabbit, who snorted and crossed his arms. At that, someone made a gentle tapping a a cup with a spoon.

"It's certainly entertaining to hear you both argue like a couple of children, gentlemen," Detective Basil said indolently, apparently not catching the angry looks from the mouse and the rabbit at him. "But I would like to take this moment to update you about the hospital facilities where Mortimer is installed." He drank a long sip of tea and then cleared his throat. "The Duke demanded to be taken to a private room, so we won't have to make a fuss around the whole hospital to be able to... Persuade him. Apparently he is totally paranoid about how the police suddenly arrived at his house this morning, so he refuses to receive visitors. I don't know how the vampiric mind control works (And don't try it, my lord Dragul, I'm protected), but if he remember the last thing that happened, I don't think he'd like to see Mrs. Van Helsing and much less Mrs. Dragul... It's a difficult that we have to sort out in some way."

"I say that someone have to disguises and goes to see Lord Mortimer in order to deceive him."

"No, no more costumes." Ortensia replied taking her glass of cider. "I was thinking rather about avoiding his barrier of paranoid using something he would never reject... Something that scares and stresses him even  _more than_ vampires."

"Something  _even_ more than vampires? Like what?" Oswald asked her curiously. The female black cat made an ironic smile.

"Something  _inevitable_ for mortals  _besides_ death?  _Taxes_."

* * *

She buried her face in the pillow after closing the door and throwing herself on the bed. She closed her eyes, focused on her breathing, feeling the body strangely numb. She could hear the voices on the first floor, still planning how to get information from Mortimer while he was hospitalized. After trying futilely to force her brain to turn everything off and go to sleep, she found herself looking at the wooden beams on the ceiling, trying not to think about it, trying not to think about anything.

It had happened when she went to sleep next to her husband that early morning, still enjoying the mischief committed, when she found herself dense darkness, heavier than she had experienced before... Then she had seen those images in her head in the middle of a red fog that covered her vision. The bodies piled around her, full of marks and completely destroyed like they would have been attacked by a pack of wolves. The people around her trying to flee to her insatiable  _thirst_ and  _anger_ , ended up being slaughtered too... She walked to the edge of the river, feeling the rustle of her torn skirt, looking for something to appease the burning of her throat, although she knew that it wouldn't do any good, because she couldn't drink water, only blood... Even so she had leaned over the edge, hoping to see  _nothing_ of her reflection... But she had stifled a cry when she saw herself reflected in the turbid waters, with her eyes twinkling an intense red, as well as blood stains all over her face and dripping from her lips... She hadn't yet come out of her stupor and horror when underneath her horrible and distorted reflection, a black shadow of eyes bright as lanterns began to come closer and closer to the surface of the water, waiting to emerge and  _engull_ her...

The next thing she remembered was taking big breaths to try to calm down, unconsciously resting her hand on her chest, although she knew that inside she would feel nothing.

Mina Dragul did NOT  _need_ a doctor or a fortune-teller to interpret what she had dreamed. It was obvious: She knew that cracks were beginning to appear on the surface where her other self was kept, that was struggling to get out of her cell, which was fighting for her freedom, like Dr. Jekyll's darker side (2), and she knew that the moment that it came out, it would cause more than one disaster. She let out a sigh that showed both frustration and exhaustion. She knew that Mickey was more powerful and strong than her, he could easily contain her, but... What if she hurt someone innocent? To any of them? The Van Helsings, Donald, Uncle Scrooge? They were mortal lives, ephemeral, insignificant in comparison to her new life, eternal and powerful... But Lives that she still dearly appreciated as her friends, as her family... She clenched her fists so hard until she felt her claws dig into her palms, making them bleed. She would have to tighten the pegs, cover the cracks and tame her beast, even if it's by mortification and punishment, like the old Christian ascetics (3)...

She knew she had to tell her Mickey about that very soon. She had to let out that feeling of fear and doubt of her being, to let him know of that dream and of so many she had had before, especially one in particular that had assaulted her during that journey through the English Channel, a dream as  _fascinating_ as  _disturbing_... No, it hadn't been a nightmare, but it had left her dazed. She had to tell him and she knew that the count wouldn't laugh at her or take that as the typical nonsense of women or pure coincidences... Then she was startled to feel a low taps on the door. "Must be Mickey" she thought closing her eyes again. "You may come in!"

"Sorry for disturbing you... are you feeling well, Mina?

"Ortensia?" the female vampire asked, opening her eyes suddenly and focusing her eyes on the door: In effect, the Dutch hunter's wife was standing in the doorway, looking at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Mina sat on the bed, throwing her long black hair back. "Oh, hello, where's Mickey?"

"He went out with Oswald and Donald to try to extract information from Mortimer now that it's night and there would be few visits." the female cat replied entering the room and approaching to the countess after closing the door. "He wanted to say goodbye to you, but he thought you didn't want him to bother you."

"I understand," Mina muttered with a sigh. There she noticed that Ortensia had sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at her with concern and care... For some reason, the vampire felt that the cat was piercing her with her penetrating green eyes to her dead and frozen soul. "Don't look at me like  _that_ , please." she muttered, averting her eyes and composing a smile. "It would seem that I'm one of those plants  _specimens_ you study."

"Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes that happens to me inadvertently," Ortensia apologized quickly, letting out a nervous giggle. "Is that we all saw you very absent at dinner. Is... Is everything ok between the Count Dragul and you?" She paused. "It's not for being impertinent, but I think it would be  _better_ if you told someone, you know, to take that weight off from you...  _Even_ vampires feel overwhelmed."

"Yes, it's something that we still share with mortals" Mina conceded, attending and looking at her again. Although she had thought for a moment that she should tell about that only to Mickey, now she thought that Ortensia could also understand her, not only because she was the only friend she had after waking up to her new immortal life, but also after of how kind the Van Helsing female had been with her and her husband all that time... She smiled: the Van Helsings had missed their mission by being so close to creatures like her! "Well, I'll tell you."

* * *

They stopped near the vicinity of the hospital, where there were some closed shops and several trees. Oswald and Donald were wearing protective amulets against the mental influence of the vampire, while Mickey walked behind them, with his usual top hat and a monocle that Basil had lent him to give him a distinguished air. Outside there wasn't much movement to be so late, and there were only a couple of guards armed with bayonets.

"Beaten them by force would be easy for us, but it's better as Basil said:  _Much discretion_." Oswald said, glancing at the weapons of the royal uniforms with his binoculars. Donald took out his hip flask and took a long sip.

"Discretion  _won't_ be easy when we are in front of Mortimer's room, what if he has crucifixes and other things that vampires don't like?" Donald asked raising his eyebrows. In that, Mickey Dragul turned away from them.

"Wait here, I'm going to flit around and see if I can see him in any of the windows." He said taking off his cape and hat, then letting himself be wrapped in a sudden and small burst... Then he started to flit between the rabbit's head and the duck as a little black bat.

"So this is your little spy... Not bad," Oswald said crossing his arms, watching the little animal fly around him. Then Mickey shrieked at them and left, flying toward the high towers of the hospital. Oswald and Donald stayed, guarding the surroundings.

"Well, if Dragul can find the room where he is and can't hipnotize him because there are crucifixes and other protection elements, we still have the Plan B..."

"Go into the hospital when Count Dragul has hypnotized everyone and taken him out of his room by force so that the Count finishes him?"

"It's certainly risky, but we have no choice," Oswald sentenced using the binoculars again to try to catch a glimpse of the bat in the dark. "Only  _he_ can tell us where the  _older rat_ is hiding..." They waited for him, not knowing that something in the shadows was watching them closely...

**...**

"I see, so  _that's_ happening," Ortensia murmured after listening to the female vampire. "But... are you  _sure_?"

"It will sound silly as I will say it, since I donn't have it anymore, but... My ' _heart_ ' tells me that." Mina muttered in turn, looking at her hands in her lap, then composed a crooked smile. "Yes, I know: it  _sounds_ ridiculous and illogical."

"No, no, I understand what you mean." Ortensia replied smiling at her kindly. "Also... We could try to prove it's true, well, if you wish, Countess."

Mina stared at her in amazement. "Can we  _really_ do that? And how?"

"There are several methods and I suppose you don't want to intrude anyone else into this... I'm right?" Ortensia asked suspiciously. "Well, she's a scientist, I guess they're all talk like that." Mina thought and then nodding grudgingly. "If you trust me, we could try and nobody would notice."

"And when would we do that?"

"We can do it these days and..." But Ortensia fell silent when he felt knocks on the door.

"You can enter!" Mina exclaimed and then whispered to Ortensia quickly: "Please don't tell anyone for now" Ortensia smiled at her and made a gesture of running her thumb and forefinger along her lips, emulating a zipper closing. At that, the door opened, showing to be Dr. Dawson. "What's wrong, Mr. Dawson?"

"Excuse me for disturbing you, ladies, but Detective Basil begs both of you to come down to the lobby, please, someone has arrived and we need your help." the plump assistant announced. The two women looked at each other. The female mouse and the female cat went down the stairs back to the lobby, where Basil was waiting for them, next to nothing more and nothing less than Bernard and Bianca, whom greeted them affably.

"Thanks for coming, ladies." Basil said with a strong tone. "The R.I.S. will expressly help us with this case, since I have expressed to them the seriousness of this situation and the potential danger in which we are all."

"It's a pleasure to see both of you again" Bianca said with a smile, seconded by a shy greeting from her husband. "Detective Basil told us about the apparent return of Lord Ratigan and the response of the organization has been unstoppable."

"That's right: Right now the R.I.S. is using all its strength to search for Ratigan in all of London and its surroundings, including the sewers." Basil continued "Only the Queen is aware of this and has sworn to keep the secret to avoid causing panic in the population and with that the opportunity to Ratigan to escape."

"What we will do now is join the search from the air and we hoped... That you joined us." Bernard finished saying, taking off his hat.

"Count on me," Ortensia said at once, but then paused. "But what about our husbands and Donald? They are in the vicinity of the Royal Hospital at this time."

"We will meet with them as they do their job of extracting some information from Mortimer," Basil announced as he put on his cloak. "This way we'll be closer to the situation and we'll be able to respond more quickly if something happens, we'll go on a carriage while Bernard and Bianca take their transporter friend to get there."

"Wait a minute, detective: You said say "we'll go"... Does that mean that...?"

"Yes, that's what I mean, Mrs. Dragul, and I understand the risks that entails, but I can not leave anyone behind, we'll take the risk."

"Come on, we'll meet Mickey and Oswald, we'll be fine," Ortensia said, squeezing her hand gently. Mina looked at her first and then at the others... The terrible dream she had had made her other self growl from the depths of her insides, to which she silenced it by closing her eyes tightly. Then she sighed.

"Let's go."

**...**

"He's taking a while, don't you think?" Donald said with some trepidation, then he looked around. They were totally alone in the dark. Beside him, Oswald was still trying to see something with his binoculars.

"It must be a big place, and maybe he's in a private place," the rabbit murmured when suddenly an intense cold seized him, despite having his coat on. He turned to look at the duck, frowning. "Did you feel that...?"

"Get down!" And then, Donald pushed Oswald to the ground, while a pretty large black figure landed in front of them, grinding his huge teeth. "It's a Blotling!"

"I have it!" And from the ground, Oswald took out his already loaded Holy Gun and started shooting at the monster's knees, blowing them to pieces, causing it to fall to the ground. "That will give us time! Run!" He got up with difficulty and ran to the hospital, looking back: The Blotling had begun to regenerate and was heading towards them. Suddenly, the two guards saw them and immediately went inside the hospital, closing the doors in their noses.

"No, no, let us in! Let me in!" Donald screamed, knocking on the doors, but without receiving an answer, behind them, a few meters away, the Blotling was approaching. "This is bad, Ozzie! Now what we do?!"

Oswald pressed himself against the wall of the hospital, gritting his teeth. The only option was to run in different directions, but Donald was unarmed at that time, because they have believed that they wouldn't take long outside. He reloaded his gun and pointed again at the creature's knee, but it apparently read his movements and dodged the bullet by a few inches. Terrified, Donald looked desperately for something in his pockets that could throw it, finding then a silver lighter and throw at him, falling in the middle of his round ears. The Blotling began to scream in pain, taking it off him, still holding his hands to his head... In the midst of his agitation, Oswald noticed that there was a hole in the monster's head that seemed calcined or melted and still not regenerated "Could it be that... the fire prevent him from regenerating?" In that, some shouts alerted him, causing the monster to turn to the other side... And then a big thing with wings throw itself on the monster between practically inhuman grunts, trying to tear it like a dog. "Mi-Mina?"

"Oswald!" The rabbit immediately focused his eyes on the spot where his wife's voice had come, seeing a light carriage speeding towards them, with Ortensia, Basil and Dawson. Above them, a huge albatross with googles was flying over them, carrying two mice that couldn't be others but the members of R.I.S., Bernard and Bianca. Arriving a few meters away where Mina, apparently in a frantic state, was still fighting furiously against the Blotling, everyone got out of the carriage, approaching the rabbit and the duck.

"Ortensia, we need fire, fire weakens the Blotling!" yelled Oswald looking with wide eyes at the violent confrontation between the female vampire and the monster. "Mina, are you...?!"

"She started to smell something and then she flew out of the carriage towards you, totally mad." Ortensia said in a trembling voice while in the carriage, Basil and Dawson were looking for something to burn. "Oswald, we must contain her, it's too dangerous!" Then at that moment, the Blotling broke free from Mina's jaws and ran down very narrow streets, being pursued by the female vampire from the air, still screaming.

"Follow that monster!" Basil ordered after untying the two horses and climbing on one of them, dragging the terrified Dawson to sit behind him. Fast, Ortensia nimbly climbed to the second horse and guided him to Oswald, reaching out her hand so her husband could climb behind her.

Then the riders urged the horses to run behind the Blotling, guided by Mina, who was flying low, chasing the Blotling fiercely, preventing him from hiding or slipping away, since Oswald skillfully fired at any open pipe or slit that had in front, while in the air, Bernard, Bianca and Orville threw at the Blotling anything they managed to grab from the balconies of houses, like pots or boxes, scaring him and making him keep running straight, apparently in the direction of the Thames river. When reaching a few meters from the shore, the monster seemed to go to throw itself into the water and disappear, but Mina quickly descended, staying on the side of the creature and trying to ram it back, so the monster returned to run along the river dock, apparently trying to reach the great bridge that crosses the river until the Tower of London. Oswald pointed with the gun and fired the last bullet he had available, hitting the monster on the knee and making him fall. Mina leaned back, ready to jump over the Blotling... When a lamp, come from who knows where, had fallen just above the Blotling, crashing on his head breaking the glass and catching on fire, making him howl with pure pain. Perplexed, several looked up: It was Mickey, who descended quickly on them, carrying Donald in his clutches, with another lamp on his hands. "I have more!" Take this!" And the duck threw the other lamp on top, breaking into pieces like the first one, wrapping the Blotling in a burning black mass. Mickey and Donald landed in front of the creature, while the riders stopped the horses and Orville landed on a pole, looking amazed and horrified the Dantesque image of the Blotling melting between loud and bubbly screams, to ended like a puddle of tar burning on the ground, no trace of his eyes, mouth or limbs.

"I cannot believe we overcame it," Donald murmured, looking disgusted at the black puddle now inert on the stone floor. "I guess we have to collect a sample and..."

"MINNIE!"

At that shout, Donald, Orville, Bernard and Bianca turned around, watching in horror the scene behind them: Apparently now that there was no Blotling to attack or tear, the attention of Mina's frantic madness had turned on the English detectives and Ortensia, whom were behind Oswald, who was trying to keep at bay the crazed female vampire with the curved blade of the butt of his weapon, as it had unfortunately been left without bullets. "Mina, you have to come back to yourself,  _don't_ make me  _stick_ a stake on you!" Oswald shouted, waving his weapon at the vampire's face, which slashed at Oswald like a circus lioness, scratching his arm, to what the hunter responded with a quick movement with the blade, cutting Mina's cheek a bit... the female vampire mouse shriek in sheer rage and apparently she was going to jump on them no matter how much Oswald as Ortensia and the detectives British were using consecrated amulets at that moment. It was really scary to see her: her eyes were like burning embers ( _"Like the puff of fucking hell"_ Oswald thought), dripping saliva from her mouth, there was no shadow of the fragile and distinguished wife of Count Dragul... At that, Mickey grabbed her from behind, grabbing her arms and mover her away from them, while Mina stirred like a madwoman trying to break free, because the smell of the black rabbit's blood had driven her crazy even  _more_.

"Mina, it's me, Mickey, your love, you have to come back! This is  _not_ you, this is  _not_ you!" Mickey was yelling while holding her in his arms, closing his eyes, waiting for her to calm down as soon as possible. Then he opened the eyes, looking at the hunter: "Ozzie, Ratigan is in the  _Bloody Tower_ (4), hidden in the lower levels, that's what Mortimer said while I was hypnotizing him!"

"The Bloody Tower? That's practically right there in the Tower of London!" Basil exclaimed. "We have to go in now and catch him!"

"We have to warn the authorities to come with reinforcements, we know perfectly that Ratigan is dangerous and with that creature as an ally even  _more_." Bernard murmured alternating his gaze between the filthy spot on the floor and the demoniac frenzy of Mina Dragul to get rid of the straitjacket that was at that time the embrace of her husband.

"We'll keep it long enough until the cavalry arrives," Oswald said, apparently not caring about the trickle of blood running down his arm. Then he looked at Mickey. "I  _suppose_ you have to take Mina to calm her down. Can you bring me  _something_ after you do it?"

Even in the midst of the efforts he made to control the killer frenzy and the strong energy of his wife, Mickey frowned in annoyance: " _Do_ you  _see_ me with the face of an  _errand-boy_ , lagomorph?"

" _Just_ do it, and then you can go away to your real honeymoon with your wife," Oswald insisted with exasperation. Still indignant, Mickey sighed.

"Give me your wishing list, then I'll charge you later."

**...**

In the middle of the night, an albatross with googles was flying low in the direction of Cavendish Square, followed by a female black cat and a chubby mouse whom rode in a horse to the same direction, following them. In the air, a couple of vampires were flying in the direction of Baker Street... And finally, the doors of the old  _Traitor's Gate_  (5) were opened for Basil, Oswald and Donald, whom crossed it to face a former traitor to the Crown that had apparently returned from the dead, in the midst of a black tide and a trail of terror and a stench of ink and death.

**To be continue...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> (1) For those who do not recognize it, that's the plot of Detective Basil's movie, "The Great Mouse Detecive"
> 
> (2) Mellitus ("Honey" or "Sweet" in Latin) is the name from which the word "diabetes" was originated, which was thus classified by the excess of sugar in the blood and the urine, discovered by the Greeks from 250 B.C.
> 
> (3) Reference to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" or the literary representations of good and evil, created by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson.
> 
> (4) The Bloody Tower is one of the towers that make up the Tower of London, so called because despite being built to be a luxury prison, there were several murders and suicides inside it.
> 
> (5) Traitor's Gate is the name that was previously known to the Water Gate and was a means for King Edward I of England and other royals to enter the Tower of St. Thomas by water as a alternative route. Over time, the Tower of London was increasingly used as a prison for those accused of treason against the Crown, and those prisoners were taken to the tower by water. Well-known figures such as Thomas More and Queen Elizabeth I entered the tower through Traitor's Gate.


	10. Dark Underwater, Part I

Luckily, the water level of the Thames hadn't yet risen to the point of completely covering the entrance to Traitors' Gate, so Basil, Oswald and Donald were able to get through it, even if they had to sink into the water until to their knees. The darkness was total, and it seemed that every step they took, even in the water, resonated with an echo amplified by a hundred. They climbed the stone stairs carefully, hoping that at any moment Ratigan or some Blotling could appear. It had been five minutes since the teams had separated and the big bad rat only needed a second to escape into the shadows of the pipe (with the other rats) and would disappear their chance to end with the Blotling itself. They noticed that there was a padlock on the gate that led to the outer courtyard of the fortress, but Van Helsing managed to make it yield after several blunt blows with the blade of the butt of his weapon, now overloaded, because the rabbit, while they were climbing the stairs, had found a pack of bullets in his pocket. He only had five now, so he couldn't afford to waste them so quickly as long as the support cavalry hadn't arrived with his request... He only hoped that his theory and his assumptions were true, just as he hoped that the Count Dragul wouldn't doing any stupidity. 

The cold air of the river felt in the air, stirring the wet clothes, making them shudder for a moment. The outer courtyard of the Tower of London looked abnormally dead, with no guard to meet them, what seemed to the three men as a sign of ill omen. Besides, there were no torches or lampposts lit, leaving the immense courtyard in a disturbing blackness. The full moon hadn't yet come out, so they had the advantage of not being discovered yet, but the disadvantage of not being able to see anything in the blackness of the stone walls of the walls of the different towers. The detective went ahead, with Oswald and Donald walking from behind, throwing glances at every direction every five seconds. 

Suddenly, Basil stopped and, raising his left hand, pointed out to the others a tower on the right side of the complex. Then he closed his hand in a fist, hinting that this was the famous Bloody Tower. They moved at a slow pace, until...  A growl under them made them stop, sharpening the hatred and with their eyes wide open in the darkness. Basil breathed agitatedly, would it be Ratigan, who apparently came back from the fucking hell to try to take him with him again? His mind was working at full speed, until a yell from Van Helsing was the point of ignition:

"Right there!"

And Basil raised his head, although it was only for a few seconds, for the black shadow of the Blotling had thrown itself over them from the battlements of one of the buildings surrounding the Bloody Tower, causing them to scatter in various directions. In that, Basil began to run in circles, causing both Oswald and Donald to imitate him, running in circles around the Blotling. It was a good strategy, both the vampire hunter and the nephew of the famous professor had to admit: The Blotling growled like a caged panther, confused and not knowing whom to attack first. "When it got dizzy enough, shoots it at the knee, then run to the door." Basil exclaimed, already beginning to pant from the effort. After a moment, the Blotling turned his head and Oswald took the opportunity to give an accurate shot in the monster's knee, making him fall.  


Thus, the three men ran to the great wooden door that crossed the Bloody Tower, seeing from afar that it was also padlocked, so Van Helsing had no choice but to shoot again to break the lock, and then Basil and him pushed the door with all their might, falling toward the fragrant darkness of the ground floor. Donald, who had entered last, had turned around to close the door. "Look for something flammable, otherwise it will slide under the door!" he croaked without letting go of the door. Basil and Oswald searched quickly, noticing a few oil lamps lit in the room, so they took one and yelled at Donald to release the door, opening it. Instantly, the Blotling showed his teeth, ready to jump on them... Only receiving a lamp crashing in his face, igniting in his body and looking like a living torch, falling backwards between cries of agony. Donald closed the door again, shouting that now they had to block it to prevent that thing from entering and trying to burn them alive with everything inside. Van Helsing at that moment noticed a heavy armor that him and Basil pushed against the door, blocking it. The screams of the ink monster grew weaker and weaker, until they finally went out.  


"So, this is fighting against monsters: Use your ingenuity along with the resources of the moment." Basil gasped, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to regain his indolent air. "Better hire a hunter in the future to work for us while I take care of the living evildoers with my ingenuity... What do you think of the idea of moving here and serving the Queen and the British Empire, Mr. Van Helsing?"

Oswald, also panting after having moved such a heavy contraption, looked at him incredulously, as if he was joking. Then he sighed, smiling tiredly. "I'm  _too_ old to start elsewhere, my land from which I hope to be buried is the Netherlands... However..." He paused, as if he was thinking about something. "...There is someone who may be able to work for all of you."

"Oh yes? Who do you recommend?"

"My daughter."

Now it was Detective Basil who looked at him as if he had said a joke. "Do you mean it?"

"My wife often says that humor is  _not_ my strong point, so no, I'm not joking," Oswald replied with aplomb. "She is perfectly capable, and I say it knowingly, she was trained by one of the best hunters of vampires and monsters still alive on the continent." he added in an arrogant and boastful tone, even if it was slight. Seeing the face of educated skepticism of the British researcher, the hunter cleared his throat. "We'd better hope to resolve this case so we can talk about this offer more calmly, don't you think?"

Even after such a scare that they had just passed, Basil cracked a smile. "With jasmine tea and fruity cider, I agree... Now, gentlemen," he continued in a low but serious tone. "If you noticed the contrast of darkness and loneliness from the outside with the oil lamps lit from this room, there is only one possible conclusion."

"The Tower is not abandoned, there is someone here." Donald replied before Oswald.

"Exactly, so since we already know what is the Blotlings' weakness, then we better take everything flammable from this room with us before going up to the next floor." He brought the lamp to his face, showing a hardened expression. "But careful, gentlemen, there may be rats waiting on the second floor and not in the end as it typically happens."  


* * *

"Minnie, darling, are you feeling better?" The Count Dragul murmured, still holding the female vampire against his chest. It had been several minutes since she had stopped kicking and twisting in his arms to free herself. He looked at her, raising her head to see her eyes: The intensely bright red of her irises had finally been reduced, returning to the usual crimson. He gave her a tender smile. "It's good to have you back, my dear."

"Mickey, I did something wrong, right?" She asked in a measured tone, letting out a sigh. Her husband didn't respond. She took his silence like as a resounding  _yes_. " _Who_ did I bite?"

"Nobody, fortunately... Well, you managed to scratch Oswald, but he also gave you enough fight before I intervened. Apart from him, there were no more wounded." the male vampire murmured in a conciliatory tone. Mina bit her lower lip, sighing again.

"I'm so sorry, Mickey. I spoiled everything."

" _Don't_ be ridiculous, dear of mine. It isn't over yet this night and maybe everything will end at last." At those words, the female vampire mouse gave him a questioning look. "I will explain it to you as we arrive at Basil's house, we have an errand to do before returning to the fight."

"Did you guys find Ratigan?" She asked, and if they were shadows, they were sliding through an open window on the second floor of the Baker Street house, at that moment all alone and silent.

"Positive, my dear. Mortimer, even if he's a clown, he was a bone that was hard to chew, but..." He gave her a malicious smile as he walked down the hall to the room, heading for the room designed for the Van Helsing marriage "...I'm  _not_ a man who lets himself be bossed by pathetic mortals."

"Certainly, you are  _not_ , my lord." she teased him, smiling. Finally, they reached the door, once again locked. And like the previous time, Mickey smashed the door bolt unceremoniously ("after this, Basil will send me a letter demanding payment for the bolt-fix twice," the vampire mouse thought), opening it. Just like the guest room where he and Mina stayed, there was the smell of sweat and body fluids in the air, especially in the bedspread neatly folded. There were books lying on the floor and a whole team of glass flasks and test tubes on the desk. According to Oswald's instructions, they have to take a leather bag from under the bed with great care that they didn't ignite unintentionally: Indeed, there was a relatively large bag, of which there were several heavy objects inside. Mickey Dragul frowned as he glanced inside.

"This will make a lot of noise, but it's the best we have at hand. Let's see if Van Helsing's bastard is right" the male vampire mumbled taking the dangerous bag and throwing it over his shoulder.  


* * *

"Are you telling me Lord Lord Ratigan is...  _what_?!"

"He's alive and is possible that he's trying to return to seize of the country but this time causing a catastrophe of  _colossal_ proportions." Dr. Dawson said with rotundity to the perplex agent of the headquarters of Scotland Yard. The chubby mouse was accompanied by the wife of renowned vampire hunter Oswald Van Helsing and two members of the R.I.S. of Hungary and the United States of America. The agent coughed, uncomfortably and clearly skeptical.

"How have you reached those conclusions? Why is not Detective Basil here to give this...  _fantastic_ statement on his own?"

"Detective Basil is at this moment in the Blood Tower in the company of my husband and a friend in order to buy time." Mrs. Van Helsing replied in a categorical and authoritative tone, something unusual for a woman of that time. "If all of you accompany us, gentlemen, you will be able to see it by yourselves, and, if we're lucky, the source of the lamentable murders that have happened."

"Do you refer about those monsters made of ink?" The agent's disbelief was more obvious. "Not that they were impossible to capture? But how could you...?"

"A mixture of luck and help from the dark world that we insist on avoiding, dear sir," Bianca replied, taking a piece of parchment from her coat. "The R.I.S. has begun a contingency operation in all the ports, but we need all the forces to be deployed in the points where the city sewers exit. If you go now, we can act fast."

 

It was evident that the great amount of information had left the head of the unit almost overwhelmed, because he wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Are you completely  _sure_ of that?"

 

"Sir, do you think  _this_ is a joke?" Bernard replied impatiently. "If you accompany us with a squad of yours, you can see it yourself." The head of the police headquarters looked at each one with a frown. None of the four in front of him showed any trace of even a smile... They definitely had something; they had found something. He sighed and called his secretary to bring the Morse code machine.

 

"Advise  _all_ authorities in the area to divide into groups and track the coastal areas, with emphasis on the terminals of the large sewer system. Have a specialized group meet at the Tower of London as  _soon_ as possible. He paused and looked at them, hesitantly. "Something special we should have against  _them_?" The assistant of the renowned detective and the wife of the renowned hunter looked at each other and then spoke in unison:

 

"Something that  _can_ burn. And if it can explode, the  _better_."

**...**

 

"Guys, did you hear that?" Donald whispered as they reached the middle of the third-floor staircase. They had passed the second without any sign of Ratigan or any other person, the room looking as dead and silent as the outside courtyard itself. Just as on the ground floor, there were gas and oil lamps lit, proving the presence of someone there. Basil and Donald took them to throw to any enemy, whether made of ink or flesh... They went to the third floor and still nothing, until a weak steps noises was caught by Oswald's ears, who warned the others with signs: There was someone on the fourth floor. They continued up the stairs, the noises became louder, as if someone was walking incessantly ("Someone that no doubt feels trapped and is thinking of an escape plan" Basil thought) until they reached the door that led to the room on the fourth floor, firmly closed. The three looked at each other for a moment and finally got ready. Oswald opened the door with a kick, taking advantage of his heavy mountain boots.

Empty!

Surprised and perplexed, the mouse, the rabbit and the duck entered the room. Although it was dark and without any lamps, the moonlight from the open windows showed a room superbly decorated and furnished. They entered looking in all directions, trying to approach the window to see if somehow Ratigan could have jumped from there... Outside nothing was seen... A tiny noise against the wood of the ground was the only thing they could hear before that happened: A huge big hands closed with brutal force around the throat of the detective, cutting his breath suddenly, making him see blurred at that moment. As he struggled to free himself, Basil knew, with his mind working at full speed in the midst of that chaos, that those hands could only be of...  


"Let him go, Ratigan!" Oswald exclaimed, throwing a small dagger at the huge black form that was holding the mouse in total darkness. He yelled a little, apparently the dagger had brushed some part of him, possibly one of his ears. Basil took the opportunity to kick to behind to his leg, managing to let himself free and fall to the ground face down, coughing and breathing with difficulty. Immediately he turned and saw the shadow of the colossus lift an elongated object and throwing it towards him, so his instinct was to roll away from him, hearing the unmistakable sound of a sharp iron crashing on the floor, just where his head was moments before.

"Amusing way to receive me, my friend. Don't you come to give a hug to an old colleague?"

"Old colleagues are invited to tea, they don't try to break other's necks," Basil said, getting up between Oswald and Donald, still looking at him. "We meet  _again_... Lord Ratigan."

The black figure stepped forward, finally showing his face. It was a tall, corpulent rat, with elegant clothes, a red cape, and a top hat, coinciding with Ortensia's description. His face features weren't deformed, but there was no doubt of the evil and sadistic air that shone on his face, especially in his eyes. He held a sort of staff with a long blade at the end, quite sharp. Suddenly, he stuck his hand in the lapel of his suit and pulled out nothing less than a Colt Dragoon, which against the modified Colt 45 of Oswald had a monstrous advantage if is full loaded... And apparently it was. "Don't  _even_ think about doing something stupid, gentlemen." Ratigan hissed, still pointing at the three of them. "It will take me  _just_ five seconds to leave all of you  _full_ of holes."

"Even if you do, there's  _nothing_ you can do to avoid escape, Ratigan. The police and the R.I.S. knows about your existence and they have blocked all possible escape routes. And right now, they are looking for that monster of ink with which you committed despicable crimes against population... You  _only_ have to confess." Basil replied sternly. The rat stared at him with a kind of bewilderment, then he laughed.

"Very wonderful, my dear Basil! How long did it take you to get to  _that_ point?  _Weeks? Months?_ My dear friend has given me the notice that you have had to resort to no  _less_ than other monsters to be able to face me and my dear ally... You're losing faculties, apparently." Ratigan laughed, beginning to applaud melodramatically, to bewilderment and anger reflected in the face of Basil. "It seems that the one who fights monsters can also become one."

Basil was silent for a moment, then clicked his tongue. "I must say that I  _missed_ those taunts of yours. Can you tell where you got that ink  _aberration_?"

"That? Nor do I know its origin, dear Basil. Since I will kill all of you in a few moments to give me some respite before starting my plan... Let me tell you a story, this is what I can do for you before put you to sleep with this: When I fell into the river and went dragged to the pipes, I noticed that ink and solvent formation that all of you apparently gave the sympathetic name of 'Blotling'. I have never seen anything like it, and apparently no other hunter or expert in the supernatural that saw something like that. It was a unique discovery, that could give back the fortune I had lost thanks to your impertinence... But when I noticed that it had a life, (weak, but still present), a better idea came to me. I saw what that thing did to the bodies of animals that ended up in the septic tank of the sewer: it devoured them, consumed them to the bone in a matter of instants, at a speed that no acid created by mortals could be compared...

Ratigan began to walk in front of them, still fiddling with his gun and with the blade, and then returning to point at them again.

"...I struggled to gain their confidence, because although apparently that being lacks brain like us, is not a stupid being. I had to bring him prey and he knew he could trust me. He wanted to get out of that hole, but he was still weak. Little by little he began to gain strength, as well as to step outside; On his first outing by the sea, he had told me that he had seen a winged creature, a kind of winged mouse...". _("That's what Mina had seen before we arrived in Harwich"_  Oswald thought while holding the gun, ready to shoot in case he had a chance... Although with such a weapon that the rat was carrying, the chances were slim.) "He began to go out, to look for more prey, he attacked anyone, no matter origin or age... Anything was good to recover his strength. After several months, while you were  _wasting_ time with that idiot of Mortimer Mouse... my friend was  _almost_ ready."

 

"So... so Mortimer Mouse... Is  _not_ your accomplice?" Basil asked incredulously. Ratigan snorted.

 

"I recognize that buffoon has many resources at hand, but I don't like to put all my secrets in a single basket, so that clown never knew what the purpose were for that blueprints were that I requested from him... I imagine you will think I made a mistake having entrusted him to where I was hiding, but..." He gestured in the air as if inviting his archenemy to complete the sentence... But Oswald did it:

"This is a trap." And just as he said that, a few growls were heard behind Ratigan, grunts that could only be from several Blotlings, crawling towards them, showing their teeth.

" _Bravo_ , Van Helsing. What a pity that you won't be able to study this fascinating new specimen to add to your famous bestiary... I will send  _condolences_ to your wife and your children. The same for Mr. Duck, surely there will be  _many tears_  when they find out, while waiting for the arrival of the Black Tide to their lands. They won't flee anywhere... And much less you, gentlemen." Ratigan added approaching the door without stopping pointing at them with his gun. "As soon as I close this door, my friends have the order not to allow you to leave this place... Unless you survive the fall of the tower, you only solution would be to burn everything here."

"You  _won't_ get away with it, Ratigan." Basil said angrily to the rat, who gave him a polite smile as he held the door, now open.

"Oh, but I already  _did_. Maybe they'll stop me... Although I doubt it:  _He's_ about to  _come out_ and  _wipe out_ everything. Too bad you'll miss the spectacle... See you, my dear friend.

And he closed the door, leaving them alone with hell.

"Fantastic, again in the hot pan... Now what?" Donald muttered as he watched the three sizeable Blotlings crawl to them. Both Basil and Donald had two lamps, but they knew that if they throw them at the monsters, they would end up burning the entire room before they managed to open the door, now blocked by Ratigan. Suddenly one of them jumped and clung to Donald's arm, causing Oswald to fire against of him immediately after firing the second and third Blotling in the knees, causing them to fall... but to his horror, the monster seemed unperturbed by the hole of bullet as he tried to sink his teeth into the faces of his companion. "Aaaah! Get away from me!" Donald cried, striking him with the lamp at hand, breaking it in his head and causing him to catch fire... including his coat, which he took it off between exclamations of pain and terror. The three men started backing until they were against the open window. Without stopping pointing them, Oswald glanced quickly over his shoulder: The height of the tower was dizzying and there would be no doubt that, if they did not end with their skulls smashed with the impact against the floor, their internal bleeding would do so with horrific slowness... He squeezed the teeth. Beside him, Donald whimpered with fear and at the same time with pain from the burns. Suddenly, Basil shouted:

"Look, over there!" 

Oswald and Donald looked around for a moment, noticing that a couple of winged figures were tearing the sky in their direction. They were Mickey and Mina! Apparently, they had managed to locate them. They had a chance and it would only be for a few  _seconds_. "Basil, Donald, get on!" Oswald exclaimed, helping both Donald and Basil to climb the windowsill. " _Forgive_ me for this, Donald." 

"Forgive you for...?" But before he could finish, Oswald pushed him out of the tower, making the duck scream as he was falling to the void, only to be grabbed a few seconds before crashing to the ground by Mina, now totally sane. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS, OSWALD!" Donald shouted after recovering from the initial scare, then Mina flew back to the top of the window, which was used by Detective Basil to grab Donald's outstretched hand with one hand and throw a of the lamps towards one of the Blotlings making him retreat. Now finally Oswald, who climbed up in the window to jump, but something prevented him: The last Blotling grabbed him by the leg, trying to drag him to his jaws, pulling him back. Oswald twisted and kicked him in the muzzle, managing to let go and run to the window. The hunter did not look back, just jumped and threw himself into the void, falling down, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact... Then he felt that his body was rising upwards, and also his arms were squeezed by a grip of steel. He opened one eye, seeing Count Dragul's boastful smile, looking at him.

"This could be included in the chronicles of the Van Helsing family: How the legendary Oswald Van Helsing was saved by his deadly enemy, the great and powerful Mickey Dragul, of ending as a smashed pumpkin on the ground." 

"Very funny, I'm  _dying_ of laughter," Oswald said sarcastically, to the amusement of the vampire mouse. Then he noticed a large shadow trying to get through Traitors' Gate. "That's Ratigan! Let's follow him!" He said pointing at him, making the vampire descend with Mina, who was carrying Basil and Donald hanging in the air.

From there, they saw that Ratigan was leaving Traitors' Gate and running down the river quay in the direction apparently to one of the sewers. Suddenly, from behind they saw a group of horsemen running towards them, many of them wearing the distinctive uniforms of the Scotland Yard and the London Metropolitan Police, with Ortensia and Dawson at the head guiding them and, flying over their heads, Orville, Bernardo and Bianca. The hunter and the vampire were able to hear cries of astonishment and horror from the uniformed men, apparently when they saw the Draguls:  _"Vampires! They're vampires!"_  But almost at once they heard both Ortensia and Dawson scream in unison:  _"They're helping us, don't shoot them, follow Ratigan!"_. With that, the threat of vampires being riddled with bullets by mistake was eliminated. Thus, both vampires tried to pounce on Ratigan, with Donald and Basil throwing the last lamps they had, just as Oswald used his last bullet to aim directly at Rattigan’s head, but the rat eluded them with surprising skill. Suddenly, Ratigan reached the edge and threw himself into the water. Everyone watched the rat begin to swim to one of the huge outer tubes of the sewer, entering it.

"We must not lose him! Let a group accompany me in!" Basil exclaimed, but Mina landed on the ground, leaving him and Donald on the ground. At his side, Mickey and Oswald also landed. 

"Obviously we will go, leave this to the  _professionals_ " Mickey Dragul said boastfully, grabbing Oswald's shoulder, who looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We'll take care of the big monster, so the others can chase down of the Blotlings that can come out... Mina?

"I will support them, don't worry, I'm  _ready_ " the female vampire mouse said with a smile. "Be careful, my sweet lord."

"We'll see each other on the other side of the pipes, gentlemen," Oswald said with a confident smile; then, approaching his wife, he grabbed her by the hands, giving her an intense look. "I'll back".

"I  _know_ that you will. Good luck." Ortensia said to him with a smile of encouragement.

"Perfect. This is the end." Basil said decisively, approaching Count Dragul and clutching one of his arms, with Oswald imitating him with the other arm. The vampire flew crossing the Thames with his two passengers, before the looks of astonishment of the policemen and the eyes of firm faith of Mina, Ortensia, Donald and Dawson. Finally, they reached the sewer entrance, entering and disappearing into it.

**...**  

The darkness was almost total, so they relied on Mickey's vampyric sight and Oswald's sharp hear to follow the weak blows they heard several meters ahead, which could be of Ratigan... or someone or something else. Although there was black water slipping down the tube, the smell of sewage wasn't so persistent, even so they were already beginning to snort at the lack of pure air. With each step they took, they feared that at some point a jet of water would send them back to the beginning. After almost twenty minutes of walking, Mickey Dragul stopped, sniffing the air, then looked at them: "It smells like  _ink_."

Oswald grunted, holding the strange black bag that the vampire had given him moments before entering. "And smells like  _dissolvent_."

"We're close to the  _queen bee."_  Basil said in a low voice. "Let's go."

They kept walking until the vampire glimpsed a faint greenish glow that could only mean one thing: A septic tank that was nearby. They moved faster until they felt the glow hitting their eyes, entering a huge rectangular enclosure with vaulted ceiling. The greenish glow came from the green sewage... and a huge black spot that floated innocently in the septic tank as if it was an oil slick in the middle of the sea... Was that the mother Blotling? And as if their thoughts were read, they heard the sound of clapping hands: It was Ratigan, emerging from behind a group of tubes.

"Thank you for coming to my humble abode, gentlemen. He's also happy to meet you. Do you allow me to present him?"

And after saying that, the apparently innocent black spot began to stir on its own in the water, beginning to form a whirlpool in the water. The vampire, the hunter, and the researcher all recoiled as they began to see a pair of giant yellow eyes, like those of a Basilisk, emerging from the swirling water, becoming higher... And more and more big.

 

**To be continue...**


	11. Dark Underwater, part II

"Something is moving from the outside! Everyone, be ready!" one of the officers of a full battalion of the Scotland Yard howled, making everyone watchful: In front of them, in one of the drainage pipes that faced the Thames, a black and viscous thread that looked like oil, was coming out and was floating in the water, being bigger and bigger. The few officers raised their makeshift weapons, composed of gas and oil lamps and their statutory bayonets. Several mice members of the R.I.S., riding some of the famous giant crows of the Tower of London, had at hand homemade incendiary bombs, with Bernardo and Bianca being in front of the line with Orville the albatross. Ortensia, Donald and Dawson were close to the rear, prepared with the final weapon in case the situation turned too much against them. In front of everyone, Mina crouched like a tigress about to jump over her prey. Dozens of eyes were  _stuck_ in that now huge black spot, which remained abnormally still in the midst of the movement of the river.

Suddenly, the mass began to move by  _itself_ , stirring and twisting ( _"It's.. It's moving as if it had a life of its own!"_  some of the royal officers exclaimed, beginning the black mass to divide into small balls floating on the dark waters, beginning to change shape, as if limbs like head or arms were formed...

"Attention,  _first line_!" Ortensia suddendly bellowed. In front of her, a whole row of officers moved ahead with tremendous precision. "NOW!" At a signal from her extended arm, the law agents began to throw the house lamps and street lamps towards the agitated mass, breaking the crystals, wrapping the concentration of the Blotling in an incandescent mass, lighting up the faces of the motley army stationed at the river dock, and on the other side, in front of the closed entrance of Traitors' Gate... " _Second line_ , cover the other side!" At that signal, a line of soldiers threw their lamps, covering from the other side of the outlet of the drain, forming a kind of giant "U", surrounding the Blotlings in enveloping movement. In the air was a dreadful smell of ink, gasoline and other nauseating debris burning... Luckily, the infantry lines were  _safe_ from getting too intoxicated, thanks to their own handkerchiefs tied on their faces to cover their muzzles and mouths, impregnated with extracts of herbs, given generously by Ortensia Van Helsing.

"I must admit that it was a brilliant plan, and I also say it  _literally_." Dr. Dawson murmured, fascinated and frightened, squinting at the almost blinding brilliance of the flames. Donald, who was on his side, growled in agreement.

"We were  _lucky_ that there was a  _whole_ battalion that wasn't on duty tonight, as well as some  _help_ from the world of the supernatural, not to mention someone who knows  _all_ the strategies of a legendary monster hunter." Donald said, watching Orville, Bernand and Bianca fluttering over the burning mass, checking how everything was going, and for a moment it looked well...

* * *

Puzzled and stupefied, Mickey, Oswald and Basil backed away from each other until they were almost against the wall of the septic tank, watching without blinking the horrid spectacle they had in front: The Phantom Blot was now a giant form of more than five meters, with its immense head skimming the cavernous roof... He had a shape reminiscent of a ghost, but with black skin and oozing ink from every part of his body. His hands, huge, ended in black claws that, with no doubt, although that being was made of ink, they looked solid and capable of cutting and traversing  _any_ flesh without any problem.

"It's an abomination," Basil muttered, his voice almost broken when he saw the monster forming and twisting in front of them. Suddenly the head remained still, until then surprise, a couple of large slits appeared, leaving them perplexed... then a pair of huge yellow eyes bright, like those of a basilisk, towards his three possible prey, outlining a smile sinister "Go back!" he exclaimed just as a giant hand launched towards them, making them run in several directions, but the monster's hand managed to grab Basil's leg, causing him to fall forward, feeling his chin hit painfully the ground . "No,  _no_ , LET ME GO!" he screamed as he was dragged back violently, trying to resist, trying to bury his nails in the dirt floor in a desperate effort to get away from the tremendous force that huge hand applied to his small body. Oswald tried frantically to open the bag he was carrying to get what was inside and so help him, but the Phantom Blot, seeing him, threw him a punch with his free hand, making Oswald fly towards the concrete wall, crashing hard against it. The monster stepped back, squeezing the detective mouse tightly in his hand, as if he was a water balloon and he wanted to blow it up. The Count Dragul plunged against him and showed his teeth, but the monster caused a wave of residual water to sink his free hand, falling on the vampire, who immediately began to scream in pain, retreating: Throughout his black fur several red and painful blisters began to appear suddenly. Ratigan gave a cheerful laugh, apparently  _enchanted_ by this  _show_.

"Not  _even_ with the  _combined_ forces of the so-called  _'most feared vampire in half a millennium'_ and the so-called  _'greatest monster hunter of all time'_  even could tickle my friend! You'd better accept that it was a bad idea to find me, my dear Basil!" Ratigan said with a broad smile." Now, if you'll excuse me, my friend wants to taste a disemboweled detective before going out to play... Don't you think...?"

The Phantom Blot looked at him and then looked at the almost faint Basil still clutching his fist as if he wanted to see everything inside of the mouse's body by burst him... Then he made a terrifying smile and began to retreat and submerge, as if he wanted to disappear under the waters with the vanished English mouse with him...

But of surprise, Mickey Dragul fluttered with his wings still full of sores, rising to the face of the Phantom Blot, but he deviated at the last moment, showing an extremely bruised Oswald Van Helsing to jump from his back where he was mounted, wielding something elongated in his hand, which buried with all his strength in one of the eyes of the monster, making him scream in surprise, releasing Basil who fell into the septic tank, sinking into the black water. Seeing that the giant hands of the beast were going in the direction of his face to withdraw that thing from the eye or maybe crush the rabbit like a fly (without a doubt the last thing), Oswald let himself fall, sinking into the water, noticing the body of the Detective losing himself in the depth, so he swam down, even with his limbs hurt, extending his hand as much as he could to that elongated body that was beginning to be confused with the dark algae in the bottom...

On the surface, the Phantom Blot had finally managed to tear out that annoying thing that damned hunter had buried in his eye. When he saw it in his hands, he saw that it was a metal rod with something on its end... It was an iron flask, which was lit at one end. Suddenly it exploded in his hand, wrapping the hand and part of Phantom Blot's face in flames, causing him to recoil, howling in pain.

"NO!" Ratigan shouted and ran towards one of the bombs that would make the water come out under pressure, no doubt with the idea of extinguishing the flames of his ally... but with a cry of rage and satiety, Mickey made a movement and a black spear came out of his hand, burying itself in Ratigan's hand, leaving him paralyzed a few inches from the manual valve... Seconds later, Mickey's free hand went through the rat's stomach, even with his fingers protruding from Ratigan's bloody back, who remained static for a few milliseconds, with wide eyes and looking at nothing, then let out of his mouth a horrible vomited blood and bile, then he plummeted on the floor, apparently inert. Mickey Dragul withdrew his hand from Ratigan, watching his claws soaked with blood and viscera, wincing in disgust.

"You  _aren't_ worthy to savor your filthy blood," he said, wiping his hand against his pants. Then he turned and saw that the Phantom Blot, with a huge hole in his face and his hand dripping with scorched ink letting himself sink into the septic tank's water, seeing that at the same time Oswald was struggling to get out of the water, carrying the fainted detective on his back. Mickey ran towards them, reaching the edge and grabbing the extended arm of his rival and at the same time, dear friend: "Are you  _always_ such a beast with your methods of  _attack_ , Ozzie?" he asked with a faint smile when he saw the hunter's bruised and full of cuts face.

"Well,  _everyone_ says that my  _openings_ start with a ' _boom'_ , you know," Oswald replied, smiling tiredly, observing the reddened blisters of the vampire.

* * *

Suddenly a giant hand that more resembled a black geyser was raised of surprise, just when the albatross and its two occupants were on them, amidst the general stupefaction and horror of the army on land, seeing that the bird had to made a sudden somersault in the air to avoid the burning drops of ink, almost making the two mice fly off, so Bernand grabbed Bianca with one hand and with the other he grabbed directly to Orville's plumage. The giant incandescent hand went back down into the water, where an incandescent mass was stirring and flailing violently, expanding and contracting... Surprisingly, it rose again like a wall of fire on them, causing those on the ground to retreat avoid the burning rain, with so much bad luck that some drops fell on them, making them scream in pain. The dough was beginning to rise on the edge of the river's quay, leaving a trail of calcined stone covered with burned ink, enveloping the air in a terrible smell that made the eyes water.

_"Retreat! Retreat!"_  The soldiers began to shout, throwing their bayonets and starting to get away from there. The mice of R.I.S. they tried to contain the advance of the Blotling by flying over the incandescent mass and throwing their homemade incendiary bombs, which exploded on the contact, but without making him retreat, but ejected jets of burning ink on the crows, knocking some to the ground.

"This is too dangerous, let's get out of here!" Dawson yelled to Ortensia and Donald, watching in horror that now the burning mass began to mutate once more, now separating into balls of ink in flames like cell division, each one with its huge legs and mouths...

"They're going to burn down the entire city if we don't act now!" Ortensia said, then noticed that between the chaos of the people running around and starting to sound the sirens and warning horns to warn about the imminent danger, Mina Dragul was stuck in place, without moving. Ortensia shouted again: "Mina! Mina, we have to get out of here!"

But Mina Dragul  _didn't_ move. Not a muscle. Only her voice was heard, but it  _wasn't_ her beautiful modulated voice, but an almost  _animalistic_ growl: "Go away."

The female black cat stayed where she was, indecisive. The duck and the mouse were a few meters away, also watching her, not knowing whether to insist or to run away, although not so much for the army of Blotlings in flames. Ortensia whispered: "But Mina..."

"GO AWAY!" Mina roared, turning her head back, showing her red eyes like infernal embers and her fangs exposed. "GO AWAY, EVERYONE!"

Several nearby soldiers raised their bayonets in the direction of the female vampire, but then they were paralyzed by the gesture made by Ortensia Van Helsing, then she added in an authoritative tone despite the obvious tremor in her voice at the time: "The Countess has spoken, retreat now!" The soldiers and policemen hesitated a moment, but lowered their bayonets and retreated. The female black cat looked at the dangerous female vampire mouse without blinking. "We trust you, Countess Dragul." The ferocity of the vampire countess's face didn't diminish a bit, but Mrs. Van Helsing could swear that she had seen Mina's infernal eyes soften a little. The cat started to run, followed by a terrified Donald and Dawson.

Mina Dragul raised her arms, in a parody of Moses separating the waters. Entrenched in the stone wall that separates the pier from the streets, Ortensia, Donald, Dawson, the military and the mice of R.I.S. watched in amazement as the Blotlings began to laugh at the comical gesture of that little female mouse... Until a cloud of bats shot out from her outstretched hands, but forming a mass as dense as the Blotlings and crashing against them, making them retreated little by little, then Mina raised her hands upwards, doing the black mass that she had in her hands the same movement, looking like the giant hands, catching the Blotling and throwing it into the river. Then the vampire rose with the mass of bats around her, horrifying Dawson and Donald, not to mention the soldiers and mice that were still there, as well as the villagers, from their homes or the trees: That was an  _angel_ or a  _demon_? Then, the Blotlings started to move to the opposite direction to the river ("It's going to enter in the city!"), but Mina, from the air,created again mass of bats from her hands, in this ocassion making a big wave in the water that caught the burning Blotling that was trying to escape, pushing them... Suddenly, Ortensia snatched the object from the Hands as Donald and ran out, despite the screams of the duck and the mouse, as well like the military men. "Mina,  _use this_ , I'm going to throw it at you...!"

But the countess didn't let her finish speaking: She lowered her hands, stopped forming her giant black hands and launched herself at her, grabbing her and rising again with her. The people on the dock and the surrounding houses gasped. Hundreds of eyes watched as Mina Dragul grabbed Ortensia Van Helsing by the arms, making her hang in the air, while the latter carried a large, round object in her hands. The wave that the female vampire had provoked was getting undone, causing the Blotlings to try again to move towards the edge to try again the offensive, but they turned to the time when hearing the cries of Mina:

_"EAT THIS, MONSTERS!"_

And Ortensia threw the object over them, seeing that it was a huge glass bottle that crashed on the mass of ink, beginning to glow in a disturbing way and finally bursting into a relatively large fireball that rose in the air and in a an expansive wave that made almost fall those who were on the ground. Amid the chaos that had resumed due to the explosion, Donald and Dawson scanned the sky with anguish, trying to find some sign of the two women... Only seeing dust and smoke in the air,  _until_ a pair of wings as of pterodactyl finally emerged behind the cloud, giving a smile of relief to several of those present, some even gave some shouts of joy.

"You're  _definitely_ as impulsive and reckless as Oswald, you and him  _are_ really two of a kind!" Donald snapped at Ortensia as the cat and vampire mouse touched the ground and he, as well as Basil's assistant and several uniformed men, approached on them. Ortensia shrugged, giving him a crooked smile.

"It's the  _best_ compliment I've been given since Lord Mortimer's hideous letter, thanks" she replied with soft sarcasm. Then she noticed a hand (or rather a claw) perched on her shoulder. The female cat stood still and then, slowly, she turned around: Mina Dragul was looking at her, her eyes bright and like  _embers_. Donald and Dawson recoiled reflexively... Ortensia Van Helsing narrowed her eyes: "I would like to  _warn_ you, madame countess, that I ate pork stew with garlic sauce and stuffed with garlic soaked for six months in preserved holy water...  _If_ you bite me, perhaps you will end indisposed by a tremendous indigestion... I don't think that's good for the little cake that you have in the oven, right?" she said softly. Donald and Dawson stared at her in amazement and not understanding a word of what she said... Mina Dragul finally closed her eyes and laughed softly.

"Thanks for the warning, you're  _very_ considerate with me," the countess Dragul replied with the same gentle and musical tone as always. At that tone, the duck and the mouse came slowly closer. Then she opened her eyes, looking at the three of them: Her eyes were still in a disturbing and dangerous bright dark red, but her smile was sweet and radiant: "Now what do we do?  _What's_ the plan?"

The female black cat made a crooked and almost boastful smile,  _surprisingly similar_ to those of the legendary Dutch hunter with whom she was  _united_ as far as God and life  _allow_ : "We're going to take a walk around the port and the river, madame Dragul... we have to  _talk_ about the method that I have spoken to you."

Mina smiled. "And Blotling that we'll  _see_..."

"...Blotling that we'll  _blow up_."

And as if they were two schoolgirls, they laughed at the same time, to the  _perplexity_ of everyone, especially Donald and Dawson, more confused than ever.

"Mr. Duck... Don't you think we're  _missing_ something here?"

"Undoubtedly... And I don't think it's worth asking: they'll be women's  _things_ , I suppose."

* * *

" _What_ happened?  _Where_ am I?"

"Well, it's  _not_ Heaven, because I'm forbidden to go in there... so don't worry: You're  _still_ here with us, my dear Basil," Mickey Dragul said when he saw the slender mouse slowly sit up after several seconds of Oswald applying pressure to his chest without success, until Mickey, between fed up and desperate, gave a powerful pat on the narrow chest of the detective, causing him to expel a jet of water as if it were a geyser, then make him open his eyes, coughing loudly. Basil blinked and looked around: There was no sign of the Phantom Blot, everything was silent as a grave. Even so, the detective seemed restless, searching for something in the sordid darkness with anxiety. The vampire, guessing what he was thinking, cleared his throat: "Lord Ratigan is  _there_ " and he pointed to a point on the other end of the underground chamber, where, almost motionless, was Ratigan's body with a huge  _hole_ in his stomach, as if he would have been  _impaled_... Basil paled even more and had to make an effort not to vomit. Oswald Van Helsing approached the edge of the septic tank, observing the muddy waters, sinisterly still.

"After that  _hole_ in the head I doubt that it can be lifted again... But it will be better to demolish this to prevent that from coming out again."

" _Demolish_ this? And how?" Basil asked, his voice weak with coughing. In response, the hunter rabbit moved away from the edge and headed to the point on the wall where the Phantom Blot had thrown him during the fight: There was a relatively long leather bag on the ground, which he took and opened, taking a look inside. Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do they still work?" Mickey asked him with slight surprise. The black rabbit nodded. "Well, we'd better hurry to get out of this hole before..." But the words died in his throat when a kind of tentacle of giant octopus, black as ink, suddenly emerged from the turbid waters of the well. Oswald and Mickey jumped back, grabbing a Basil's arm each one and pulling him away from the edge, watching in horror as the tentacle writhed in the air and bumping against the walls, as if he were looking for something... Until they noticed a faint voice resounding from the other side of the chamber:

" _Take me._..  _Use me_  to recover your strength... And let's  _destroy_ them together."

Immediately, the tentacle threw itself right at Ratigan's dying body, wrapping his body and dragging him into the septic tank. It was so sudden and brutal that the three men could not do anything to prevent it. With a disturbing splash, the tentacle and Ratigan disappeared under the waters. A horrifying stillness was felt.

"Gentlemen, retreat."

"But..."

"I said  _retreat_! Help me with him, Mick!"

"Now what do we do? We  _cannot_ leave it like that! That's still...!"

"I know, but it's dangerous to stay here, we'll be thinking about plan B."

"So we'll still use the little colored sparks?"

"What little colored sparks? What are you talking about, Mr. Dragul?"

" _Fuck_ you and your big mouth,  _flying rat._  It's the only thing that can stop him right now, you're not in a position to fight, to be honest."

"Bah, he just irritated my skin a  _little_."

**...**

With the help of fishing nets, the mice of R.I.S. they began to drag the smoldering black mass towards the shore, once the flames had been extinguished. Donald and Dawson coordinated the movements so that the Blotling was transported to a safe place for eventual scientific as well as police investigation. Meanwhile, the soldiers, armed with homemade bombs, accompanied the Dragul and Van Helsing ladies to patrol quickly the surroundings of the river to suffocate any outbreak of the Blotling in some of the exits of the pipes. All were exalted and worried: Exalted because they were finally doing something against the threat that was fucking them for months... And worried because it had been a while, and still didn't appear neither Detective Basil, nor Oswald Van Helsing nor much less count Mickey Dragul... with less than an hour to start breaking the dawn.

Sudden noises, like those of a sleeping giant, caused everyone to remain still, terrified, sharpening their ears to try to find out the origin of that sound. Then, they began to hear a noise from the tube where the three men had entered. Donald and Dawson came running to the edge of the river, noticing that they were screams... Screams from Basil:

" _Run_ , everyone!"

"What the bloody hell...?" they began to say the duck and the mouse at the same time, until the monstrous and unnatural was heard again, this time louder, even reaching to shake them. Frightened, they both ran along the river dock, shouting loudly that they should stay away, that something was coming out of there. The mice of R.I.S. and the rest of the soldiers began to move away from that sewer pipe in a hurry, shouting that everyone should get away from there immediately... Then a tremor was felt all over the dock, which caused several to fall to the ground. Had it been an explosion? In that instant, Mickey Dragul shot out from sewer, dragging both Oswald and Basil, flying over the river until they reached the opposite shore. Donald and Dawson approached them, noticing stupefied that the three looked terrible: The vampire had burns on his wings and several parts of his face and arms, as if someone had thrown acid on him or he had contact with the sun; the hunter had several bruises, blows and cuts, not to mention the intense smell of sewer that he had... smell that also had the detective, who although looked not beaten as the other two, was terribly pale. "What the bloody hell  _happened_ in there ?!" Dawson asked, losing his composure. "What was what...?" but in that instant another tremor shook them. Basil looked at him gravely.

"Mr. Dawson it's time to retire, the Phantom Blot is about to leave and if we don't act fast, it will end with everything and everyone here."

Both Donald and Dawson were speechless, as well as confused: "The Phantom...  _what?!"_

"Explanations come later, Donald," Oswald said urgently, curtly. "We ask everyone to get away from here, so nobody will be hurt when that thing comes out and we can take care of that."

"And what are you going to do, Van Helsing?" Basil asked, now leaning between the shoulders of Donald and Dawson, because he could no longer stand on his own. At that moment, the strongest tremor they had ever experienced, almost like an earthquake, shook all the vicinity of the river, almost giving the feeling that the nearby buildings were going to collapse... Then the mouth of the sewer opened itself in a horrendous explosion that started exclamations of many of those still present, then make a black mass of ink crawl out of the rubble, staying in the middle of the river, then mutate and show the shape of a black figure with huge eyes of color yellow and a face of sharp teeth... The most horrifying thing, however, was that next to the mouth of the monster there was a deformed protuberance that wasn't like the the rest of the body, as if it was an extra atrophied appendix, like... a face. Basil paled even more if possible by noticing those features among the creature's viscous black flesh: It was the  _face_ , terribly deformed of Ratigan  _himself_ , frozen in a hideous expression... Donald almost vomited from sheer disgust and horror.

" _That's_ the Phantom Blot, Donald; and what I'll do, Basil, is to get this over with at once." Oswald said in a blunt tone, stepping forward, still clutching the strange black bag he carried. "Does anyone have a lighter? Mine got ruined in the water." he asked extending an arm. Donald and Dawson searched in their pockets, finding Donald a silver lighter, giving it to the rabbit. At that, the vampire approached, raising his eyebrows.

"Don't  _even_ think that you're going to out there to play the damn hero on your own, I'm not going to let you steal all the credit, and you know it." Mickey Dragul said with a crooked smile. Oswald Van Helsing looked at him and replied with an equally crooked smile, then he put Donald's lighter in the pocket of his coat and extended his hand to the count. "Aaaah...Do you see that it isn't so difficult to ask for  _help_ , condemned lagomorph?"

"I wouldn't ask to  _another_ , fucking rodent." Oswald said decisively. And so they stepped forward, staring at the Phantom Blot. Then, giving a powerful kick on the floor, Mickey rose with his wings, with Oswald riding on his back, crossing the river again to approach the Phantom Blot, who apparently realizing that there was no one on the shore, had begun to move in the opposite direction of the river current, probably to to do the same as the burning black mass of the previous time and go to the city to try to destroy it. However, he didn't count on them:

"Hey you!"

The abomination of ink turned to look who had yelled at him, then a horrible grin and a grunt that resembled a laugh: Whom be those that insisted on facing him, if he could crush them like flies between his fingers? The Phantom Blot threw one of his arms towards them and turned it into a swarm of tentacles to try to catch them, but the vampire turned in the air to dodge them and the hunter knocked in the air with one of his blades, cutting the tentacles and making them fly backwards in small pops of stinking and burning ink. The Phantom Blot roared in rage and waved his arms towards them in an attempt to crush them. His two annoying opponents sketched a smile, while they remained static in the middle of the river, defiant. Then they flew upwards, continuing to ascend to the sky that little by little, became less black and more silvery and, slowly, a rose with golden stripes... They ascended at a dizzying speed, to be more than 40 meters above the ground, until they abruptly turned in the air to launch like a torpedo towards the Phantom Blot.

Everyone below held their breath. What was they  _intended_ to do?

Like a fireball, Mickey Dragul was flying in the direction of the ink monster, as if he was going to crash with him... But suddenly it stopped abruptly and from his hands he sent a cloud of bats so dense that they seemed more like an extension of his hands surrounding the Phantom Blot, holding him in place. The monster shifted desperately in that suffocating mass, trying to break free, so he didn't notice that Oswald Van Helsing took out of his leather bag a German titanium Bazooka, pointing directly at the head of the Phantom Blot... Basil, Dawson and Donald (especially Donald, who appalledly recognized that weapon as one of the crazy inventions of his uncle Ludwig Von Drake) were about to shout to stop, that perhaps that would cause an explosion that killed several around, but then a light trail of golden, red and blue colors shot out of the cannon, flying at full speed towards the monster... Which opened his mouth and  _swallowed_ it completely, as if it was a sandwich.

Eternal seconds of absolute anguish have passed, until a light began to shine from the chest of the Phantom Blot, which began to shake uncontrollably in the water, looking at his chest as if he was having a heart attack... The light, which the beginning was red, then it began to turn blue and then green and finally a yellow as it seemed to expand in the chest of the monster... Then, with a scream of agony that was heard throughout the city, the Phantom Blot burst into a ball of fire with an expansive wave even bigger and devastating than the previous one, causing some windows of some houses to break, to later observe how colored lights rose in the early morning sky and exploded in a shower of fireworks of varied nature: Golden flares, blue squibs, yellow firecrackers and red rockets that left the sky full of sparks of all colors, to amazement and shouts of joy and victory of the army after seeing such an extraordinary spectacle ... But what had happened to Mickey and Oswald? The sun had begun to rise to boil the earth in a blinding glow...  _Where_ were they?

Just a few seconds before the Phantom Blot exploded, the vampire and the hunter had backed up so much to escape the violent blast and the rain of fire and burning ink as of the sun, to which there was a swath in the sky... Descending stumbling due to the fatigue of his wings, Mickey noticed a steamboat that was entering through the river channel at that moment, so he hurried to get there, watched with anguish as sunlight illuminated implacable form every corner and about to reach them... And in fact the glare of the sun gave Oswald in the face, as well as touched the feet of Mickey, beginning to feel the unbearable burning in his boots. Scared and seeing that the ship had no place to land to shelter from the sun, Mickey had no choice but to crash into the ship's hull, plunging his claws into the metal to stay stuck there, with Oswald hanging from his back and to 10 meters of the river water, yelling at Mickey that he would kill him if he dropped it... At that, giggles left them both paralyzed.

"I see that this couple of stowaways need  _help_... Do we lower the anchor so you can climb?"

"Ortensia!" Oswald exclaimed when he saw his smiling wife on the edge of the ship, arms crossed. A second later, several heads poked out in unison,  _including_ a face covered with a thick cloak but able to show a long flowing black hair... Mickey smiled in relief. Several gruff male voices shouted for a rope to be thrown, and immediately, a ladder made of ropes was deployed right next to them, so both men climbed with some difficulty.

The moment Mickey Dragul put a foot on the ship deck, a dozen hands fell on him, giving the impression for a moment they were going to bury stakes on him or throw torches on him, but they were several soldiers and agents of R.I.S. that they wanted to greet him, shake his hand, thank him for helping them get rid of this horrible threat, throwing on him several military capes to protect him of the sun's rays.

Looking up from the mountain of clothes, the vampire noticed a face in the middle of that ocean of people: A face covered by a traveling cloak and with the sweetest smile he has ever seen in his immortal life... Before he realized he felt Mina's icy but soft lips against his, clasping him in her arms. Happily stunned, Mickey Dragul turned his face at the sound of mocking laughter in his direction: Oswald Van Helsing, in the bow of the ship and surrounded by exalted soldiers, winked at him with his usual sly smile, with Ortensia curled up on his shoulder and both covered by a cloak of one of the soldiers. Mickey smiled back, still hugging Mina around the waist.

The sun had come out completely, bathing in a pleasant glow the vicinity of the Thames and the remains of the Phantom Blot and the Blotlings, still floating on the surface, now completely inert. At the signal of the captain of the Scotland Yard, the ship threw cannon shots into the air in victory. In fact, cannon shots would be heard for the rest of that morning. And much of the  _rest_ of that splendid spring.

**TBC**


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shade: We arrived at the end! Thank you very much for reading me, although the thanks are rather to Twisted-Wind for creating such a wonderful dark universe like Mickey Dragul's. So credits and total love to her.
> 
> Playlist: "White Stones" and "Moving" by Secret Garden.

Things were calm from now on. During the rest of that month, battalions of cleaners roamed the sewers to clear them of any remaining Blotlings floating in the sewage, finding mostly remains without life or some small specimens, which were quickly eliminated with torch blows, then made drag to the exits and dredge them in the water with fine nets. Although there were some complaints about black slime coming out in the washrooms and in the middle of the bathtub, the truth is that the threat of Blotling and the terrible deaths had apparently come to an end.

"Unfortunately, those deaths were left without being avenged because (and this time I hope to be absolutely certain) Ratigan has dead." Basil said taking a teaspoon to stir the sugar in his tea. "However, the Crown will give a small compensation to the relatives of the victims that could be identified... It is the least that can be done. Any news about the origin of that creature, Van Helsing?"

Oswald, sitting in front of him and comfortably sat in an armchair, shrugged tiredly. "Many times, things just have no explanation, but they happen. In this world where creatures of darkness inhabit it, the important thing is not to know where they come from, but how to destroy them."

"It's something difficult for me to assimilate that, being a researcher and, therefore, I must know the origin of things," Basil snorted after taking another sip of tea. Although it was morning, there were only them in the living room, since the Draguls slept in their room, just like Donald. As for Ortensia and Dawson, these accompanied the various experts in dredging operations with the remains of the Blotlings. The detective mouse leaned back in his seat, staring at his interlocutor. "We deserve a toast and a good dinner for such a good job."

"Amen," Oswald said, raising his cup of sparkling chocolate, sketching a sly smile. "Since we will stay a couple more days, what do you think about discussing your offer, Mr. Basil?"

The famed English detective's smile became as malicious as that of the famed Dutch hunter. "It seems splendid to me. I listen to your recommendations, my dear friend."

* * *

It was a delight to walk the streets in the afternoon hours, and she appreciated the fact that London's cloudy weather allowed her to wander around without starting to burn. Mina Dragul smiled broadly as she felt the skirt drop whispers on the floor as she walked through the cobbled streets of the market. She carried a basket full of fabrics that she had liked to make a dress, as she had always been told that English wool was of excellent quality. She was amused by how most people in the stores asked her if she was okay, since those huge dark circles she had looked worrying... The vampire countess just smiled and said that she felt more active at night.

"Earth calling Mina, can you  _hear_ me?"

"Eh?"

"Heavens, you do really get  _lost_ in your own little world, huh" Ortensia said with a mocking smile, having fun at the embarrassed female vampire. Both ladies were sitting on the terrace of an elegant cafeteria, enjoying the beautiful reward that the English Crown had given Detective Basil for solving the case, something the mouse had distributed among the Draguls, the Van Helsings, Donald and Dawson. Before dragging Mickey to the first pub he had found, Oswald had told Ortensia and Mina to go out and have fun and buy whatever they wanted. Mina had ended up laughing at her own clueless state. "I wanted to inform you that I have finished doing the investigation, Mrs. Countess," Ortensia began to say with the seriousness of a minister. The female vampire looked at her with interest as she took out a gold-plated hipflask and took a sip; She certainly looked like a vulgar woman doing that, but she didn't give a damn: With that she could drink blood without alarming anyone. The female black cat took a sip of her tea before continuing: "I checked the test and it's positive."

Mina slowly left the hipflask on the table. "Are... you sure?" Ortensia gave her a wide smile and took her claws hidden in her silk gloves, squeezing them. Mina felt that her petrified heart could explode with happiness. "I have to tell Mickey, before we leave. Or should I tell him later?"

"It's  _your_ decision, Min: Do it when you think it's the perfect moment." Mina sighed at that response and looked at her carefully: This was completely new to her; she had so many questions and fears... and she knew that, in front of her, there was someone who could talk to her about all this and would always be as warm and honest as she always had been... Of all the questions that assaulted her mind, just one could came out:

"How was with your... first time?" At those words, the black kitten looked at her hands in her lap. She smiled a soft smile.

"It was a real surprise, because I thought it wasn't going to be  _possible_ because he and I are  _so_ different. Although it  _wasn't_ me who told him that because I had passed out, so the cook of an inn told him... She told me later that I should having seen his face, it was  _priceless_." Ortensia said laughing wistfully. Then, the female black cat crossed her arms with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "You should wait after today. My intuition  _tells_ me that when we see them again, they even won't be able to count two plus two."

* * *

_"Drink, drink, drink...!"_  the diverse spectators howled at the huge bull and the small black rabbit each drinking a mug of beer, both sitting at a small round table. The crowd shouted encouraging both competitors... Or rather encouraging the bull, which soon pulled the jug away from his mouth to cough stony, with foam dripping on his nose. In front of him, the rabbit continued to drink until he reached the end, smiling cheekily and wiping the foam mustache from his lips, to the rage of the bull. The crowd roared and fell apart in applause.

"The winner of this round is the Mr. Helsing." The bartender announced. "Another round, gentlemen?"

"I've no problem, I've room even for dinner today, what about ya?" Oswald asked with a sardonic smile to the bull, who snorted indignantly, sitting with a crash in front of him. In response, Oswald swatted the table " _Serve_ it!"

"Frankly, Van Helsing, you are a  _barbarian_ ," The Count Mickey Dragul murmured, watching the black rabbit drinking another mug of beer with surprise and slight disdain. Around him there were only drunks and people of doubtful reputation... Nothing commensurate with someone as refined as he. Then he remembered that Oswald had grown up in that environment and he shrugged, stirring his glass of vodka with some blood collected from his hipflask. If someone asked him what he was drinking, he only said what Oswald had told him to say: "It's a Bloody Mary (1)." He drank peacefully, ignoring the screams: The vampire hunter had won again.

"I really don't understand why mortal men like these places." Mickey observed with a critical eye when his friend had sat beside him, this time with a very cold glass of beer. "I would honestly prefer to be with my wife."

"Oh, come on,  _don't_ tell me you're bored," Oswald snorted without leaving his glass. "Sometimes it gets fun."

"Getting fun making bets about drink one beer after another?"

"Don't fuck me: In three days I will be completely sober and not drinking a drop of alcohol throughout my journey, I deserve this last night of..." Oswald soon stopped and stood still, like a dog smelling a duck wild. "... _Splendid_ ," he murmured softly in Dutch, placing the beer glass in the table. Mickey looked at him strangely. "Look over there, vampire boy."

Mickey raised his eyebrows at the burlesque nickname, but turned in the direction Van Helsing had pointed... Then, a little devilish smile was drawn on his lips: Crestfallen, crawling, sitting at a table completely alone... was Mortimer Mouse.

_Finally_ , something  _fun_ to do on this place.

* * *

No doubt the following days were a reward for all negative feelings...  _Beginning_  with the  _beautiful_  retaliation that Mickey and Oswald allowed themselves with Mortimer on that night of drinks. What the vampire and the hunter did to the Duke... We will  _leave_  that to the  _collective imagination_. But we can tell you this: Mortimer Mouse dawned totally stunned and without remembering anything that had happened since the moment he had set foot inside that pub to clear his head after being discharged from the Royal Hospital... Hung with his pants in a flagpole in front of the city hall, to his utmost horror, being exposed to the mockery of the disgusting crowd passing by under him... which went on to throw him rotten tomatoes after that the Duke shout at them to lower him... Using precisely  _those_  words to refer to them.

The rest of the days they had left they spent calmly, walking the streets of the city, exploring the shops, the places of the fields surrounded by dark ponds, preparing everything for the long return home for some... Or for the new adventure for others:

Donald had received a telegram from Professor Von Drake to go to France immediately, since he needed him for a demonstration of his new version of the  _Mechanical Cow_. The duck, more encouraged to meet his girlfriend than to help with another invention of his uncle, said goodbye to everyone after a warm farewell to the Van Helsings and the Draguls and shaking hands with Basil and Dawson, embarking for Boulogne the next day.

Finally came the eve of the departure the two couples from Baker Street. The mouse detective had decided to take from his attic an aged brandy to celebrate the occasion, although surprisingly Oswald Van Helsing refused another drink after the first one and content himself with a bottle of fermented honey made in the Americas that he had stored in his saddlebags and he had shared with Ortensia saying that it was the  _perfect_  drink for their trip (2), Basil and Mickey, understanding his hint, laughed. They spent the rest of the night sharing experiences and anecdotes to finally enjoy the serenity of the joyful crackling of the flames in the fireplace.

* * *

Leaning his elegant cane of ebony and nacre on the wooden floor, Mickey Dragul let the smell of the ocean flood his nostrils. He smiled placidly at the beautiful creature that was clutching his arm. It was early in the morning, so there wasn't much movement on the little Harwich dock, so they could take the time to say goodbye without witnesses. He watched the calm waves at the first hour, he looked so beautiful, calm... "It's a miracle that you  _didn't_  run away on the first night and leave us lying in the middle of this mess" he heard behind him say. Grimacing, the vampire turned around, meeting the dark eyes of the vampire hunter, looking at him with a mocking and affectionate smile. Both he and Ortensia were in light clothes due to the spring and the long sea voyage that awaited them. A spyglass jutted out of the rabbit's saddlebags... as well as the butt of a high-powered shotgun.  
Mickey raised his eyebrows: "It seems like you're going to hunt a giant sea snake  _rather_  than going to a romantic second honeymoon, long ears."

Oswald Van Helsing shrugged: "Bah, I'm just carrying the  _indispensable_ , in case there is any giant sea snake on our way. I've worked too hard and I'll just think about having fun."

" _Fascinating_ , I guess," the vampire murmured skeptically, then turned to see Basil and Dawson, looking at them without speaking, but smiling. Mickey extended a claw to the mouse: "Our work is over, Mr. Basil. Nothing stops us here anymore."

"Exactly, gentlemen. On behalf of the Crown, the Parliament and all our people, we thank you for your valuable help. I hope the rest of the stay has been pleasant enough for you."

"Well, the blood bags were decent, hehe," the vampire mouse joked, bowing. Mina gave him an affectionate pinch on the elbow as a scolding.

"You have been an excellent host, you and Dr. Dawson. I would love to come back here in more pleasant circumstances. Will you write to us, Mr. Basil?"

" _Absolutely_ , Mrs. Dragul. And I expect the same from Mr. Van Helsing, if you like," Basil replied idly. Oswald gave a crooked smile.

"I will see if there's any telegraph away from civilization, but I take it for granted, Mr. Basil." Beside him, Ortensia stifled a giggle. The sound of ships was heard all over the pier... It was time to leave.

"See you later, my dear. Have a good time on your trip. Can I write to you?" Mina asked as she was hugging her friend Ortensia with warmth and affection. The female black cat smiled.

"You don't need to ask me, Min. Anything about  _that_ , you can check with me," she consulted, winking. "Good luck: Everything will be fine." And they hugged warmly. Behind them, their husbands shook hands tightly.

"Remind me  _not_  to go drink with  _you_   _anymore_ ," Mickey Dragul told him with a malicious smile. " _Bon voyage_ , lagomorph."

"The same I say, you are  _too_  refined for my liking." Oswald Van Helsing replied with a sly smile. " _Likewise_ , rodent." In the end they decided to have brief hug, promising to see each other again.

The sun had completely risen. Basil and Dawson watched the hoisted sails move farther and farther away from the pier. In a medium-sized three-masted ship with colors from the Dutch and Romanian countries, they saw the Van Helsings wave their hands towards them, with the female black cat curled up on the male black rabbit's shoulder, both with a mischievous smile that made them look younger of what they really were... Several meters behind them and with the bow pointing west, a huge four-masted ship carried two large black coffins, both loaded by sailors with the face of being completely lost... Or rather  _bewitched_. On the dock, the two English mice cracked a smile.

**...**

Several days have passed...

Ortensia smiled delighted at the gusts of salty air on her face, reveling in the dawn sun making a beautiful contrast to the ocean at her feet and also painting the sky of a rose with golden stripes. Since dawn she was awake, because emotion prevented her from sleeping. She turned back, noticing how they moved away from the Strait of Gibraltar, imagining how the ancient Greeks imagined the imposing Hercules separating those two ends. She looked to her right, where the African shores were seen, getting excited to imagine what they would do when they reached the port of Tunisia... Although she has traveled more than most of the women of her time (and more than anything in her family), she had always felt that there was nothing more exciting than the crossing, especially when she did it with someone who enjoyed them as much as she...  _"God in heaven, thank you for putting my bunny in my path, I beg you to let us continue like this as long as our lives last, together... "_  She prayed... Her smile widened as she felt strong arms around her narrow waist with ferocity, at the same time feeling that familiar scent of damp earth and smoked wood with a subtle but present smell of blood and raw leather that she knew would never leave his skin... She giggled as she felt his lips perch on her neck, still hugging her. "I was missing you; the bed feels  _cold_ without you."

"Did you miss me so much, hunny bunny?" she muttered, tilting her neck to give her husband's lips and rough tongue  _better_ access. "Sorry for leaving you alone. I was thinking."

"Heh, you always do." Oswald replied with a soft smile. "Tell me what you have in that little head of yours." She responded him by moving swiftly within the grip of his arms to face him, ignoring the spectacular sunrise reflected in the water. She leaned back more, leaning dangerously against him, knowing what could provoke him... Desiring him. She laughed when she saw the remarkable blush that the rude hunter was trying to hide.

"I was thinking that when we disembark, we may perhaps take a camel ride or visit the pyramids. It's fascinating to see what the ancient Egyptians did with the plants."

"...As methods for knowing pregnancy, huh?" Now it was Ortensia's turn to blush. Oswald's smile became triumphant. "Aha, I caught ya! That was what secrecy you and Mina had about, right?" The female black cat sighed.

"Okay, you caught me: Mina is  _pregnant_. We knew it a few days ago, but she had made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone, Ozzie." Oswald also sighed, releasing an arm from his wife's waist to scratch his head and make a face.

" _God almighty!_   _More_ vampires to deal with, and Mickey was more than enough!" Ortensia laughed, then feel Oswald's rough fingers touching her cheek, making her melt at his touch. "...I had thought that  _you're_..."

"I know, dear. But  _not_ this time." she replied softly, stroking the rabbit's cheek in turn. "...Although  _nothing_ prevents us from trying one  _more_ time."

"Wasn't last night really  _enough_ for you, huh?" Oswald replied arching one eyebrow "Insatiable and greedy woman... I should  _punish_ you."

"Hey, the wobble of the waves  _was_ a  _good_ companion to the wobble of the bed." And Ortensia laughed out loud at her own dirty comment... Then she shouts in surprise: Oswald had picked her up and threw her over his shoulder; laughing, she exclaimed: "Put me  _down_ , ruffian! Where are you taking me?"

" _Back_ to our cabin, my lady." the vampire hunter announced with joy, making her squeal as he grabbed one of her buttocks to hold her better. "I  _have_ to punish you." Ortensia laughed like crazy, letting herself be carried away happily by the captor and jailer of her heart. She opened her eyes once again to take a little of the majestic beauty of dawn on the retina before the fragrant darkness of the cabin engulfs her alive.

**...**

"Do you want more, my lady?"

"Oh Mickey, how much you please me." She laughed, lengthening the iron cup so that her husband filled it with more freshly milked blood mixed with ruby-colored wine from Artois. That delightful mixture warmed her more than the lush ermine skin she was wearing to counteract the cold of the fields of Norway at that time of year... Although nothing warmed her more than the soft kisses and playful little bites that the vampire mouse did in every piece of skin that he could reach under her thick coat, enjoying the enriching silence that that Norwegian countryside surrounded by mountains gave, so devoid of people that Mickey and Mina could walk freely as they wanted and even frolic completely naked in the snow and meadows, laughing like two happy little children.

Mina had given him the great news when, after several days of navigating the Viking waters both by ship and occasional flights through the Arctic waters, laughing with pure happiness. It was just upon arriving that the female vampire, wearing a delicious white silk dress, had put her husband's hand against her belly and told her everything, without words and with tears of blood peeping out of her eyes. The Count Dragul was stunned, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of the water, but unable to articulate any sound... But three seconds later, a roar escaped his lips, crushing the little female mouse in a fierce hug, covering her face of kisses, muttering "thanks, thanks, thanks" again and again.

Once, Oswald Van Helsing had told him what he had felt when he had been given the good news of his wife's first pregnancy. That, thanks to that, his practically extinct lineage had been reborn from the ashes like a phoenix... And Mickey understood; he had understood perfectly from the moment that damned hunter called "Mad Doctor" had cut his family's life, leaving him alone for a very long time. That feeling of loneliness as overwhelming as miserable, surrounded only by Pluto, the ghosts of the castle, Madame Leota and the other servants... He had long believed that he would continue like this, until that icy night where he had found the messenger of his happiness , his most beautiful treasure... His mother had told him that many things pass through the fate, and now he believed it with devotion.

Mickey Dragul took her left claw in his hands, wrapping and kissing them with a devotion similar to that of a Christian kissing the paten (3); He looked at her tenderly and whispered: " _Nothing_  will be  _enough_  to please you in a  _similar_  way to how you have pleased me, my love... Not only being with me for all eternity, but also giving me this wonderful gift that you're carrying in your womb..." He closed his eyes serenely. "Now I can say that I'm fully happy.  _Now_  I do know what happiness really is... I had come to believe that I wasn't entitled to any of that... But you, Mina, my Minnie..." He opened eyes and with the hand of the female vampire he stroked his face with her. "...You have been my messenger of happiness. I will  _always_  be grateful for the day you found me."

"Rather it would be the day you saved me, my sweet love... I  _confess_ , I was afraid of you the first time, afraid of being so far from home, from my uncle Scrooge... but you were so sweet, so gentle, that you caught me completely, after that I didn't care  _anymore_ , I just wanted to be with you..." And Mina leaned down to brush her lips parted and desirous of the captor of her heart, to merge into an umpteenth kiss. "... _Forever_ and _ever._ "

**...**

_Fragments of Basil from Baker Street's letter to Mickey Dragul (and Oswald Van Helsing), dated of June 23:_

_"Greetings, my friend. I hope the travel remains as splendid as ever._

_I would like to inform a couple of interesting things that have happened since your departure: Our greatest scientists made a detailed analysis of the remains of the Phantom Blot that was recovered from the Thames, trying to look for some sign of Ratigan (...) they arrived at the conclusion that the creature's thinner was like an acid that is capable of melting meat at a terrible speed. (...) Fortunately, there are no more signs of Blotlings after several days of dredging the waters. Hopefully it continues like this._

_I'm usually against spreading gossip from other people, but this is a special exception, given the circumstances (...): This morning, Dr. Dawson and I took our well-known Sunday walk when we saw Lord Mortimer Mouse being taken to a sanatorium due to a venereal disease that he had contracted (...) apparently he won't be able to leave for a long time from there... It's a pity that someone of so much prestige has lent himself to such repudiable acts (...) According to reports, now he bleeds every time he goes to the bathroom and he was about to be castrated by the doctors in order to not lose his... noble instrument. "_

Both Mickey and Mina, as well as Oswald and Ortensia were unable to continue reading, due to the crazy desire to laugh out loud. That was  _just_  the cherry of the ice-cream of that wonderful summer.

**_The End_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> (1) The reader may hurry to say that this is wrong, since the Bloody Mary as a drink was first presented in 1921 by Fernand Petiot in France... This was an artistic license for humorous reasons.
> 
> (2) Fermented honey (also called mead) was used ritually to be consumed by the bride and groom during an entire lunar cycle after the wedding. From there comes the expression of "Honeymoon."
> 
> (3) The paten is the noble metal dish (like Gold or Silver) in which the communion wafer is placed during the Eucharistic celebration.


End file.
